Gatekeeper's Shadow
by lyuboiv
Summary: The sequel to the Gatekeeper's Chronicles - the fallen Gatekeeper has told his story to the Doom Marine, from his very birth to the dramatic conclusion of The Plutonia Experiment. The Marine is now left with the unsettling knowledge that there is one surviving demonic colony in our own Universe, and it may awaken very soon... the battle for humanity's future is about to begin!
1. Introduction

**What is this? - **_Gatekeeper's Shadow_, written in 2005, is the sequel to the Gatekeeper Chronicles. The true sequel (The Lost Memories are an experimental "expansion" of sorts). It takes place immediately after the events of the Chronicles - the fallen Gatekeeper has told his story to the Doom Marine, from his very birth to the dramatic conclusion of The Plutonia Experiment. The Marine is left with the unsettling knowledge that there is one surviving demonic colony in our Universe, which has grown powerful enough to threaten Earth. Worse still, he learns of the existence of ancient and powerful entities that have weaved a tangled web of power struggles and treachery throughout the millennia...

Reading the Gatekeeper Chronicles (and Lost Memories) in advance is not strictly necessary, yet it is highly recommended.

This story is an attempt for a **crossover** – it features numerous lore elements and references from the Wolfenstein and Quake series. I was curious to see if it is possible to merge the three game worlds into one. Was it successful? See for yourself... Of course, the Doom lore and atmosphere have the leading role :)

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**Who is Kyle Harlan? -** This is the name that I chose for the Doom Marine. I wanted to avoid Flynn "Fly" Taggart because it was already used in the official Doom novels.

The name is inspired by two other fictional characters - **Kyle **Katarn, the awesome protagonist of the Dark Forces / Jedi Knight series of first-person shooters, and Andrew **Harlan**, the time technician and protagonist of Isaac Asimov's _The End of Eternity_.

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_**Gatekeeper's Shadow**_

**(the sequel to the Gatekeeper's Chronicles)**

by Lyubomir O. Ivanov

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"_No living being dies, unless it alone wishes to." _– the Gatekeeper

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**Prologue: Aftermath**

_One more outpost remains... you will never find it. Never!_

A lonely man sat brooding on the stone floor. Next to him was an enormous pile of torn flesh and pieces of scorched metal – the now dead body of a great demon. The man just sat, still under the influence of what he had heard from that creature in the last hours before it died. He became the only listener of a grim story that shocked him deeply. He was the only one who ever learned of the true history of Hell and its evil deeds over countless eons. He was the only one to fully realize with what humanity had fought and what the enemy really was.

He was the only one who knew the terrible secrets that now weighed heavily on his thoughts. The Gatekeeper's last words echoed in his mind like a dark curse:

"One more outpost remains, ruled by the last Spider Mastermind. It is here, in your Universe, on a planet far away, hidden and well defended. It grew strong over the years and now has the power to decimate the Earth. You cannot do anything about it – you will never find it. Never!"

Was all his fighting in vain? Did he actually lose? So much conflict, so many victims and overwhelming despair, and still one last outpost of Hell threatened humanity even after the last Gatekeeper was defeated and his dark plans had failed. The demons were still out there, hungry for revenge. And probably quite capable of achieving it. The nightmare was not over. It was only just beginning...

He stood up and looked around in confusion. A choice had to be made...

"Should I tell them about it? Or should I try to find it myself..."


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER I: TEMPLE'S DEPTHS**

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_A great temple of black marble it was - surrounded by fortifications of bone and flesh..._

The marine stood up and turned around, intending to walk away. He stopped. Still under the influence of the amazing tale he had just heard, he felt uneasy, almost dizzy. Talking to a creature that had lived for millennia and knew so many things, so many secrets – that was an experience that would definitely leave its mark. As he heard about his own deeds, told from the point of view of the demon, he could almost sense his own tension while fighting through the legions of nightmarish creatures that had crawled out of Hell, longing for his blood and flesh. It had to come to an end, yet the Gatekeeper's last words foretold of more fighting and anguish to come. Thinking about all things that were said about his destiny, the marine thought that perhaps it was his destiny to lead an endless war against forces he could not even comprehend. No one, not even the Gatekeeper, could predict what those forces' next move would be. He had to do something about it before something went wrong. The obvious choice was to make an attempt to discover the locations of the mysterious last outpost of Hell that, hidden somewhere in space, plotted its terrible revenge.

There was still much time before the Space Marine Corps would finally arrive at the spot (long after everything was over, as usual), so he had enough time to have a more careful look at the Temple of Darkness that had survived the Gate's powerful explosion. It appeared that the Temple was the only building that remained intact after the long hours of desperate battle. The marine tried to find a way through the chaos of debris and torn metal. The only safe way was through the sewers that he had passed through before he approached the Gatekeeper's lair. As he descended into the dark and cold subterranean tunnels, he thought about the task at hand – he had no idea what to look for, once he reached the Temple. The demon's tale suggested that he should try to delve into the deepest crypts, where many of Hell's secrets were buried. The marine walked silently by the darkened corridors, filled with the corpses of demons and undead monstrosities, their walls marked with bullet marks and spots burned by explosions or plasma discharges. This arena of death stood as a dark reminder of the battle that he had survived. Quiet and abandoned, these tunnels were even scarier than before.

The last explosion had created a few very convenient cracks within the structure of the old UAC bunker – through them, the lone man could reach the Temple and look for a clue of some kind about the mystery he was trying to unravel. The computer monitors that were not shattered still displayed the UAC insignia and the words "Plutonia Project – Ensuring the Safety of our Homeworld." The late afternoon sun stood brooding in the reddish sky, as if disgusted by the terrible events that had taken place beneath it. The heat of the summer day made the whole place resemble the Hell that the marine had gone through. Twice. The dark shadow of the Temple looked like a frontier between the "normal" world and a realm of startling shadows and living nightmares. The marine knew that the place he was about to enter was the heart of the Gatekeeper's ancient empire of darkness and corruption. It was a symbol of humanity's weakness and vulnerability against evil, a mocking reminder of the alien intervention in humanity's development. And now he had to explore it and discover something that would provide necessary information.

It was apparent that the steps of the huge ceremonial staircase were not designed for humans. The climbing was exhausting and annoying, at the top awaited a small chamber made of black marble, surrounded by golden poles that bore obsidian skulls on their tops. Runes, shining with an unnatural red glow, covered the platform's floor, assembled in mystic patterns and groups. The bronze gates of the chamber were broken by the clumsy UAC researchers and lay on the ground, covered in dust. Inside, there was a stone altar, covered with blood that had been spilled centuries ago. There had to be a way into the crypts – but the chamber was empty – the old chandeliers stood as silent witnesses of the marine's futile efforts to find a secret passage of some kind. The walls were solid – covered with images of vile sacrifices and foul rituals. The marine noticed the small figure of the Gatekeeper on one of those images – he wore a strange-looking crown. The astral symbols on the ceiling were probably not the key to the problem's solution, but the floor... A complicated network of lines covered the floor – the lines had different colors and formed seemingly senseless shapes on the marble. Those lines had to converge in one point – that point was behind the altar. He went behind it and saw a small pentagram carved into the floor. He pushed it with force and it sank. A rumbling noise broke the silence of the chamber and the altar moved, revealing a dark stairwell that led into the unknown depths of the Temple.

He pulled out his flashlight – it was still operational after being hit, dropped, and immersed in muddy water for about a hundred times since he received it when he joined the Marine Corps. He went down, deeper into the catacombs. Beside the stairwell, he saw side corridors, sealed vaults, large empty halls, dust-covered libraries, forsaken mausolea, and dungeons filled with old skeletons that did not appear to be human. He stopped for a while, looking at a chamber that had a pit in its center – unnatural glow and blood-chilling howls came from that pit, and the marine was sure that he would never approach that thing. Finally, the stairs ended – he reached what was supposed to be the lowest level of the crypts. From where he stood, five tunnels branched out. They were marked by different colors – black, white, red, green, and revolting purple. Unable to decide which one to take, the marine decided to explore each of them. With luck, he would survive whatever traps they might contain. On the other hand, it was supposed that no one would ever enter this place uninvited, and security measures would be unnecessary. Whatever the case, the marine felt much safer with his trusty double-barreled sawed-off shotgun in his hands and the rocket launcher on his back.

He chose the red corridor, as it seemed most ominous. The stone that covered the tunnel's walls, floor, and ceiling was unknown to the human... if it was stone at all – he knew well about the ways demons used flesh and bone in their constructions. A foul smell permeated the air – a small similar to the odor of blood, or the smell that can be felt in infirmaries where severely wounded marines were held. There was no place for hesitation – he had to go on, no matter what awaited in the tunnel's end. He reached a chamber that looked like a storage silo of some kind – there were numerous cylindrical containers assembled in the room, as well as some machinery with an unknown purpose. The man carefully approached one of the containers and opened it. A loud hissing was heard, clouds of gas went out and the content was revealed – a dark liquid of some kind. He leaned forward and looked closer. It was blood. Shocked and disgusted, he backed away. Apparently, all containers were filled with human blood, and were designed to keep it fresh. He remembered that human blood was demons' favorite food, and that chamber was the Gatekeeper's personal nourishment cellar! The machines in the corner was used for the liquid's extraction, as was suggested by the blades and needles on them. And the other boxes – the marine did not dare look inside them, having the bad feeling that they would contain whole body parts. Assuming he had seen enough, the man left the room and went back to the intersection with the other four tunnels.

"The white tunnel should not be so bad," the marine thought as he walked carefully in its direction. He entered a large hall that had shelves by the walls and a large demonic symbol drawn on the floor. The marine approached that symbol with caution – it seemed to be nothing but a weird ritual drawing on the floor, ornamented with many tiny runes, astral symbols, and precious stones. The man could only assume that this was a summoning circle, used to bring demons from Hell to do the Gatekeeper's bidding. The deformed bones of demons that were lying all over the room supported that assumption. The shelves were filled with small cylindrical crystal containers that seemed to be empty. A closer look revealed their true purpose – there were small glimmering images inside them that looked very much like the faces that appeared in Soul Spheres. These wraiths' attention was drawn towards the human, who realized what he had found. A Soul Library! Hearing the faint voices of the creatures imprisoned there, the marine decided to leave immediately.

The green tunnel invited thoughts of something rotten, and the human expected something really bad to be waiting in the end. What he found was a room filled with many objects. He increased the power of the flashlight's beam and... quickly backed away as he saw the Gatekeeper himself!

"What the..."

It was only a statue. An obsidian statue that was put in the room's center. It was about three meters tall, its intimidating look enhanced by the glowing eyes. It looked so real, yet it was not alive. The marine decided not to look at it, as the thing gave him the creeps. A quick survey of the place showed that it contained a large throne that was set in front of a huge table. There were many chests filled with scrolls, tomes, jars filled with unknown materials, and many other objects that he could not recognize. That was the Gatekeeper's personal lair. The many tomes of archives could not be read as they were filled with ancient runes and other arcane symbols. In one of the chests, the human found the crown that he saw on the painting of the Gatekeeper. He decided to take it – it was unusually light for its size. Apparently, there was nothing else he could do in that room...

The black tunnel had to lead to something of value – black was the color of darkness and evil. He was right – it led straight into a system of storage cells. The marine did not have the time to go through all the supernatural things that were stored in that area. He recognized some of the artifacts: the glowing blue orb was a Soul Sphere, the crates filled with blue potions were used for healing, and those completely black small crates covered with strange devices had to be the dreaded Black Containers that raise dead humans as Former humans. The marine decided not to touch anything. At the bottom of one of the chambers, there was a sealed vault that was now opened and abandoned. Inside it, there was a small pond filled with a strange liquid. Within this substance floated several dark spheres. Void spheres! He went closer to look at them – they were inert, and seemingly deactivated. Perhaps the Gateway's explosion had damaged them in some way? The human thought that when the scientific team arrives, they would study these artifacts with special care. He did not know how the idea came to his mind – he hesitated for a moment, then picked up one of the spheres and hid it in his backpack. He hoped they would not find it...

The last tunnel led into a chamber that contained a large crystal encased within rings of green metal – a material he had never seen on Earth. Close examination of the crystal did not show anything – it just stood there in the empty room. The marine was suddenly scared by the faint vibration that he felt in his backpack. The Gatekeeper's crown was the source of that disturbance – its gem set into the forehead glowed and hummed. It looked as if it was inviting the human to put it on his head. As if in a dream, he lifted it and put it on. Before he could react, his hand touched the crystal and a storm of images and sounds filled his mind. Very briefly, he saw visions of other worlds and other times... The continent of Inferno and countless Hell Knights marching through it... The Unholy Cathedral and many workers constructing its towers and walls... The Temple of Darkness and a procession of fanatical demon-worshippers... Human sacrifices at the temple... Four rune-like objects dancing in a wisp of fog... Battles, destruction, wrath... A revenant made of pure ice and sapphire, emanating eternal cold – the one known as the Ice Weasel. The same revenant, lurking within ancient forsaken crypts... The planet Jupiter and one of its moons... The moon of Io... A cacophony of angry voices...

The images blurred and disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. The crown did not work anymore – as if it felt that it was being used by a human. He understood that the crystal was some kind of memory storage device, accessed through the crown. It contained many recorded visions from many creatures – including some memories of the Gatekeeper himself. The moon of Io that he saw disturbed him – he remembered the Gatekeeper mentioning something about it, and the ancient catacombs where powerful demons would awaken and threaten humanity once again.

He realized that he had to go to Io – that was the first step to discovering what he sought. Having found the information he needed, the marine decided to go out and think of ways to get there – he knew there was a UAC research center there. With great relief, he returned to the stairs and left the crypt.

As he went out of the Temple, he heard the distant sound of helicopters and trucks – the Space Marine Corps arrived... at last! They noticed the marine and ordered him to remain where he was, and wait for them to pick him up.

He sighed – it appeared that he would have to deal with angry officers once again...


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER II: INTERROGATION AND ANALYSIS**

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_I became convinced that Destiny itself guided you, and there is yet more you will do, for your battle does not end here._

"Harlan, Kyle L., Space Marine Corps, Corporal, serial number 629-0K3-94SZ12, blood type – A positive, thirty two years old, single, four medals for exceptional combat performance, one purple heart, numerous praises for immaculate discipline... and an exile sentence for the assault of a superior officer. Do you confirm this information?"

"Yes, I do" Kyle murmured, carefully examining the Colonel's office. Inside it, he felt even worse and more worried than he did while exploring the darkest depths of Hell itself.

Colonel Adam Simmons sighed and looked through all the papers that were spread all over his desk. He had no idea where to start from – he looked at Corporal Harlan once again. Perhaps he wondered how the marine could retain his rank after the incident. That young man was obviously very capable and, as his recent deeds pointed out, quite lucky and charismatic.

"So let us try to clarify things a little bit" – the Colonel hoped that it would somehow be possible to do that – "On December 10, UAC Mars City 1 received an unclear message from Deimos concerning an invasion by unknown enemy forces. About an hour later, the whole moon and everything on it disappeared."

The Colonel looked at the screen beside the desk that showed something filmed by someone on Mars. Kyle looked at it and saw the same tragedy repeat itself – a sphere of sparkling energy enveloping Deimos, one bright flash and the moon disappearing. He frowned and turned his look at the Colonel.

"One hour later, a strike team was assembled under the command of Lieutenant Fred Daniels. When a distress call came from Phobos, you were sent there with a short-distance landing pod, your orders: investigate and report. According to the information we have, the lieutenant decided to leave you guard the landing pod... apparently, he did not trust you, given the circumstances surrounding your arrival on Mars. Anyway, that saved your life. What happened next – it is not clear. You fought your way through the infested base, of which we are very grateful. We lost track of you after you passed through the, hmmm... portal. You were missing for two or three days – during that time the Earth was invaded. You reappeared in an abandoned UAC storage facility, through another portal. You did an excellent job in infiltrating the star port and removing that force field. Next comes your insanely brave investigation of the possible source of the invasion in your own hometown... convenient, isn't it? Then you disappeared again, and one day later the demonic forces just stopped fighting and retreated en masse – ending the war as suddenly as it had begun. And finally, that very recent accident at the Plutonia Project research site. Despite your repeated denials I am sure that you have played quite a big part in the crisis' resolving."

Kyle just nodded – all this was true, and apparently his previous claims that he had fought with the other marines and accidentally killed the demon leader would not be accepted so easily. He had told them at least fifty times what happened – the journey through the Gate, the lost Deimos base and the cursed Tower of Babel. His journeys through Hell, and the last battle that ended it all. He would tell them what happened, though he would not mention anything about the tale of the Gatekeeper. That was to remain hidden by all means.

"Sir, as I already told you, I could rally several survived marines. Together we managed to find a safe path through the infested facility and eventually discover one enormous creature that was apparently the leader. Killing it put an end to the invasion and all other demons died. This is it," Kyle explained, attempting to imitate an innocent smile on his face.

"They just died like that?" the Colonel remained skeptical, "Strange, the research team mentioned something about all dead demons being killed by human weapons. The whole place was marked by the traces of long and intense battles. You had done much more than you claim you did. You are a hero... a hero of humanity, can you imagine that?"

"Um, sir, I... you know, I cannot... I have not done that much, I just followed orders and I did what I had to." Kyle did his best not to stutter, "Well, at least I do not feel like a great hero, I just want to get back to my duties and forget about all that..."

"I know how you feel, Corporal. You are a good man; you do not need all those praises, medals or promotions – the thought of all the attention that would be given to you terrifies you, doesn't it? (Kyle nodded) You are lucky journalists have not learned about you and your feat – they would tear you into pieces, and you would not have privacy or even a single quiet moment anymore. As you asked, your part in the invasion's overthrowing was kept secret, though we do not know whether you can be returned to your regular duties."

"Sir, I assure you, I never wanted any of this to happen to me, I never wanted the role I played in the whole thing – I just did what I had to do. I do not care if I have saved the world twice – this is my job and I am glad I have it, nothing more. I just want to forget about it and..."

"The problem, Corporal Harlan, is that saving humanity from extermination (twice) is not something that you can just forget and go on. Do you have an idea how impressed the military are? There have been rumors that they want to take genetic material from you, and use to create a new elite generation of marines. Another ridiculous suggestion was that they have decided to use the faster method – clone you. I am sure that all charges about that officer assault thing will be forgotten and there is a rank promotion that awaits you. But... okay, let us talk about that later. I know that you wanted to ask about something. What is it?"

"It is about the invasion's aftermath, Colonel. How is the restoration of our planet going? Is there some way I can help?" Kyle really preferred to spend some time away from the military.

"Ah, I knew you would ask about it – many people have been putting these questions before me in the last few months. Our restoration planning team is working tirelessly – these guys have not slept for nights, it is steroids and tons of caffeine pills that still keep them conscious. There is much work to be done – many large cities on the planet have been nearly completely destroyed. Reconstruction will take years. The billions of homeless people currently reside within the intact cities and the special temporary encampments that have been built by the UAC. The UAC – their role in the events was successfully hidden, though I am sure they feel guilty enough... We would not blame them for the last accident at the Plutonia Project facility – our investigations show that this time, as amazing as it sounds, it was not their fault. The accelerator project has been preserved and will be finished in the future, ensuring the safety of our planet and colonies."

"Sorry to interrupt you, sir, yet I have to admit that I am very skeptical about the UAC's "good intentions." I suggest that they be kept under close surveillance. And I would also ask the..."

"Save your questions for later," the Colonel interrupted, "I have work to do and the time I have to answer your questions is very limited. For now, I will tell you what is essential. A serious problem we face is the insecurity in the intact cities – in their darkest corners, there are still demons that lurk and prey upon the careless humans that want to get back to their homes. Mopping squads are already formed all over the globe and they are cleansing the planet slowly, yet efficiently. Cities, dark caves, and desolate areas within tropical jungles, arctic wastelands, and barren deserts – these are all areas where hidden demon survivors might be found. We are gathering volunteers to join the mopping squads so that they could finish their job as soon as possible. Only then will restoration and returning to normal life be possible. Billions of people are in deep shock from what happened. Billions have lost their relatives. The world economies will be rebuilt from scratch, as will society itself. Despite all difficulties, I feel that humanity has the will and strength to rebuild what was lost. Well, that is what I wanted to tell you. Any questions? Any demands – you are the hero so I will see what I can do." The Colonel smiled and stared at the Corporal.

"Sir, first of all I insist that the facts about my..." Kyle started again.

"Do not worry, Corporal Harlan – beside me, there are only about ten other people on this planet who know that you were the one who defeated the invaders single-handedly. No one else, no country leader, or high-ranking officer knows anything about you. None of your fellow marines knows about you and your deeds, let alone a civilian. Your former colleagues on Mars think that you are either dead, or escaped to Earth after your team was slaughtered on Phobos. Your secret is kept well – we respect your will. Still, do not ask for impossible things like..."

"I understand, sir." Kyle interjected, "Beside the secret that is kept, I only want to get back to my work and go somewhere else... far away from this nightmare. I cannot stand to look at the ruins of the world I used to call home. I am tired of all that happened to me. I went to Hell itself and back twice, and lived to tell the tale. I want to go somewhere... far away, not on Earth, not on the Moon, not even on Mars. I just want to get away and find peace for my soul."

"I understand your feelings, Corporal Harlan. That is why we are reluctant to get you back on duty; we are not entirely sure of your sanity. Do not be offended, but psychologists suggest that your experiences might have left your mind shattered, and you might not be fit for military service..."

Kyle stood up. He looked straight into the Colonel's eyes. He could not determine whether the Corporal's expression was one of anger or frustration.

"Colonel Simmons, I see that you are a decent person for a high-ranking officer. You can understand me, and I appreciate that. Believe me, sir, I am no less worried about my condition than you are. I am a soldier – it is my job to always be ready to do what has to be done. I want to get away so that I can calm down and not get insane as you kindly suggested. Let me go and I will be happy. As far as possible. Give a mission if you can – anything that will allow me to forget everything that happened over the last few months."

"Are you completely sure about what you say?" the Colonel frowned, "You just want to cast away all the reverence and recognition that you deserve? You refuse a successful career in the military, enormous financial compensations for your unimaginable ordeals, and everything you may ever wish for? You just want to forget everything and go on with your duties of a Corporal, commanding a squad of irritable marines in some dirty cramped space colony?"

"Yes. I am not that kind of person. I am not a hero. I just want to be left alone and live." – Kyle sighed deeply.

The Colonel stood up and remained still for a whole minute. He approached the Corporal and shook his hand. The tap on the shoulder that followed was known to be Colonel Simmons's greatest sign of approval.

"I am so proud of you, Corporal Harlan. I am proud that you are a Space Marine. I am envious that I have not had the opportunity to be your commander. I am deeply impressed by your honesty, and that is why I will do everything that I can for you. Have faith – I will make sure that you get an assignment as soon as possible."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your understanding. I will always remember what you did for me and I will be grateful."

Kyle saluted and turned around to leave the room. Closing the door, he heard the Colonel's last words:

"I will do what I can. You will have a new assignment soon."

Kyle Harlan returned to his old green tent, set up within the camp of the marine division. Once inside he sat on the floor, relieved at the thought that he had achieved the first of his goal – he had ensured that his secret would be kept and they would get him back on duty. He had also set the path for the accomplishment of his next task – he had to find a way to get to Io and investigate the potential demonic threat there.

He sat down and looked at his weapons, carefully arranged inside a metal box beside his bed. Those deadly tools had saved his life quite few times. Would some mysterious force protect him once again in the battles that were to come – only time would tell.


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER III: NEXT ASSIGNMENT: IO BASE ALPHA**

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_Poor humans – they immediately believed me when they saw someone who introduced himself as "Major Boyd."_

The pit was filled with human bones. He tried to crawl out of it, desperate to reach his shotgun. The rhythmic sound of steps told him that the Hell Knight was very close. Only a few more seconds and the demon would get him. He jumped out of the pit, injuring his knee on one of its edges. He grabbed the gun and turned around quickly... only to find out that the Hell Knight was no longer there. Before he could react, a dark shadow fell on him, and he heard the creature's heavy breathing right behind his back! He jumped up and...

...Fell out of his bed. Kyle sat on the floor and stared in the darkness. Another nightmare, just as the other three that he had during the night. Just a few weeks before the Gatekeeper invaded, he thought he had been able to overcome these dreams. The dying demon's vivid tale had brought his terrible memories back to life, as if the demons he had killed wished to continue tormenting him. He knew only one way of stopping them: forgetting what happened and getting back to his usual work. These haunting nightmares were another reason for his wish to move on and carry out his duties like before. He stood up and went to the other side of the tent. There, he took a bottle of water and sat down at the table, which was covered with reports, photographs, and various recordings – sources of information about the demonic invasion and its abrupt end. He studied the materials as it was apparent that sleep would not be possible for the moment. The camp was absolutely quiet – the feeling that he was alone helped Kyle concentrate better on his current contemplations. He was thinking about Io and the evil that awaited there. As far as he remembered, there was one very powerful creature that he had to be wary of – the fearsome Ice Revenant. A former Disciple – a powerful human who had served ancient godlike beings and commanded supernatural powers... the marine was not even sure he believed in all that. He also knew that he had to look for crypts of some kind that could most probably be discovered if he could scan the moon for energy sources under the surface. And then? He had not decided whether he would go there alone, or together with a solid escort of space marines. It was also possible that the UAC colonists had already discovered that site.

Kyle's wandering look fell on his old trusty helmet that rested in one corner. He liked that piece of plastic and metal – he received it personally from his best friend – the one who supported him after the accident with the commanding officer.

"He wanted me to shoot at civilians, for God's sake! He deserved it!"

The helmet reminded him that his best friend was killed during the demonic invasion – he defended a marine encampment, exactly like the one he was currently in. There was a long scratch on that helmet – it was left by the sharp nails of one of the two Barons of Hell that awaited him in the Phobos Anomaly. It was also stained by the blood of the Cyberdemon warlord that he fought with in the Tower of Babel. He did not intend to wash it – he liked to retain it as a kind of trophy. Then he saw the small pouch that used to be attached to his belt. That small piece of leather had accompanied him through Hell itself. He opened it – inside it was the small badge that he had grown to hate during his months of exile – a small metal thing that had the UAC logo and the words "Mars City 1 – Security Office" inscribed on it. Those were undoubtedly the worst few months of his life. Kyle did not want to forget them – he wanted to remember and always know how he was treated for disobeying the bastard's sadistic orders... Immersed in his memories, Kyle did not notice that the dawn had come and there was movement in several other tents. He stood up and looked at his PDA's calendar – that was the twenty fifth night that he did not sleep. He did not count the time he had spent fighting evil.

A cup of coffee and a cold shower was all a marine would need to start his day. Kyle planned to help the marines that worked to rebuild a medical center near the camp, but there was an unexpected interruption that appeared in the form of a message from Colonel Simmons. The officer wanted Corporal Harlan to go to his office as soon as possible. It was apparent that something important had happened – the marine had the bad feeling that his fate will be decided after half an hour.

"That man works really fast. It is a wonder that he has not been promoted to General by now – he is much better than the ones I have encountered."

The previous day Kyle was too worried to comprehend any details of the office he was in. Now he stepped inside confidently and examined the room more carefully. Portraits of different people, special achievement certificates, trophy guns and a weird painting that, supposedly, had to depict a sunset over a forest. It looked more like the junk that was called "food" on Mars. He noticed a few awards for sharp shooting – that explained the numerous weapons that the Colonel had collected. The desk had nothing on it, except for a small laptop and a few folders. He tried to have a closer look at them, but the Colonel came in at that moment. Kyle saluted, yet the officer did not notice – he was excited about something. Perhaps finally there would be good news?

"Corporal Harlan, good morning. Did you sleep well during the night?"

"I did not sleep at all, sir." Kyle was too tired to lie.

"I see, after everything you went through... You should _really_ get some sleep; take it as a friend's advice." The Colonel was now sitting in his chair. "I see that you are anxious so I will delay it no more – I have good news for you."

"I appreciate that, sir."

"You wanted an assignment – somewhere far away, right?" the officer began, "I think I just found something easy and routine enough; your transport is already arranged. Striving to send you to the "far away" that you crave so much, I have moved you to UAC Base Alpha. That is on one of the moons of Jupiter – Io."

For a second Kyle thought that he would jump up and shout in triumph. He did not do it – he managed to restrain himself. He could not believe how easily he had just achieved his goal. Destiny? He could not know...

"The order for your mission is already approved. You will depart four days from now. In this folder (he handed one to Kyle) are all the orders and authorizations that you will need."

"Sir, how did you manage to convince the High Command to send me there so quickly?" Kyle asked.

"Simply – I gave them a false name for the marine that was to be transferred. I have also sent a report that Corporal Kyle L. Harlan has been sent to Europe, to help in the restoration of cities and infrastructure throughout the continent."

"Colonel, have you ever been told that you are brilliant?"

"Nice joke, Harlan." Simmons smiled, "I did that only because you saved the planet twice. Otherwise, I would not even think about breaking the rules like that – I am an officer and I am responsible. I trust you, and I believe that you will not fail me. In such case we both will be in trouble."

"I understand, Colonel. I will be careful."

"Fine." The Colonel's face was serious again, "Now, I will give you some information about that base. Unlike other UAC facilities that are used for production and colonization, Io Base Alpha is strictly a scientific research installation. As you probably guess, the UAC initially intended to perform their experiments on dimensional Gates there, safely away from the Earth. Prior to the Plutonia Project accident there was a decision that such research would be forbidden for an indefinite period of time, or at least until the accelerators were set up on the Earth and all colonies – prepared to prevent any invasions that the enemy might attempt. The facility was then redesigned to house UAC's research into chemistry, biology, and genetics. With that change, the scientific staff was changed too – and that is what your assignment is about..."

The Colonel made a short pause and looked through one of the folders in front of him.

"There is one specific scientist in the base that has been worrying the high command and the UAC management for quite some time (he showed Kyle someone's personnel file). Doctor Simon Stalker... indeed, what a name! This Stalker guy has always been known for his strange habits and ideas. He has also been known for his disregard of professional ethics and the scientific concepts of what is morally acceptable in genetic research. He almost lost his academic credentials several times because of severe violations of the rules."

"In other words, an arrogant geek." Kyle shrugged, "And I guess I will have to keep an eye on him?"

"A little more than that. You will watch him with exceptional caution. There has been very much suspicious activity around him during the last two months. First of all, he has been performing major research and experiments in his laboratories, yet he did not send a single report to UAC headquarters. Naturally, the UAC are very worried about whatever he does that is kept secret for unknown reasons. Even though he does not send any reports or any information in any form, they have continued to supply him with whatever he wants. There comes the second reason for suspicion – for these two months he has requested supplies that have puzzled even the best of our analyzers – they cannot make any sense of the stuff that he wanted. I do not know exactly what he demanded, but I know that it somehow doe not fit into the UAC research program that Dr. Stalker apparently neglects. Third, there have been many dark rumors that something illegal is going on up there. The people on Io are afraid, and that is why we did not ask them to watch him. We ask you – you must go there, make sure the doctor does not learn that you are new there (it will be easy – he does not know any of the marines) and find out what is it that he is working on. When you find out, report immediately, and wait for further instructions."

"I see. That would be a mission I would gladly accept, Colonel. Thank you for the understanding and the efforts you put into getting me there. I will not forget it." Kyle stood up.

"I know you won't, Harlan. One last thing before you leave – I just remembered one other suspicious thing about Dr. Stalker that I learned recently. I was informed that he specifically requested that he be sent to Io – he almost created a grand scandal, quarreling with his colleagues and superiors about it. Eventually, the UAC decided to send him to Io just to shut him up. I can only speculate that he wanted to be as far away as possible from Earth – that is another argument in support of the theory that he is indulged in something illegal or dangerous."

"Indeed – it sounds like that. I am curious to meet that man and check him out personally. Are the other inhabitants of Io Base Alpha aware of my mission?" Kyle asked.

"No. The only person on Io that knows who you actually are, and what your goals there are, is the marine commander of the colony – Major Nicholas Boyd..."

"Major Boyd! He actually exists?" Kyle almost yelled.

"What do you mean, Harlan? What agitates you so much? You look pale..." the Colonel frowned.

"No, it's nothing, Colonel. For a second I thought that was the name of someone I knew. I have been mistaken. Please excuse me."

"I see. Anyway, I do not have more time now. You must now move to the marine encampment at your home city, where the demonic portal was. In four days, you will depart from the star port. Once on Io, Major Boyd will give you any additional information you need."

"Understood. Once again thank you, Colonel. It is time for me to leave." Kyle saluted.

"Farewell, Corporal Harlan. And good luck..."

Once back in his tent, Kyle could contemplate what he just heard. Major Boyd – there was a real person with that name. That was exactly the same name that the Gatekeeper used in one of his illusions, in order to lure a group of marines into a trap. A ghastly coincidence? Or perhaps the demon used another name, but specifically used "Major Boyd" in his tale so that he could draw Kyle's attention to Io. If that was true, the question remained why the Gatekeeper would want to draw the marine attention to that moon. Because of the hidden demonic outpost? Or probably that had something to do with the mysterious Simon Stalker and his secret activities?

"The Gatekeeper's invisible touch persists. He is trying to tell me something... but what is it?"


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER IV: THE AWAKENING**

* * *

_Glowing with an eerie blue aura and radiating an infernal chill, a skeleton comprised of sapphire and ice roamed the plains of Hell, hunting down the souls of the damned and claiming them as his eternal servants._

Silence and darkness. They had dominated the forgotten vault for millennia, keeping it hidden and forgotten by all, except for the one who had built this place ages ago. The network of tunnels and chambers reached into the very depths of the small moon, keeping their secrets buried in oblivion. The chamber's walls were made of fine stone, decorated with a few metallic plates, covered with ancient runes. The floor of the chamber was covered by water – still and clean, undisturbed for centuries. On a small pedestal of blue stone rested an enormous sapphire, shaped as a human skull. It had remained in the vault since times beyond remembrance. And the time had come for it to disturb the brooding silence.

A low hum was heard and vibrations rippled the calm surface of the water. The skull sparkled and glowed eerily as loud hissing filled the chamber and the water began to freeze. Frost covered the stone walls, and mist started to billow in the air. Within it, a cracking sound was heard as the sapphire skull started to break into pieces. Seconds afterwards, a loud bang echoed through the abandoned corridors as pieces from the skull flew in every direction. The frost began to thaw, the water was calm, and the whole place was quiet once again... Yet there was something different. The sapphire skull was gone and its place stood a nightmarish creature.

A tall skeleton comprised entirely of pure ice and sapphire had risen, his eyes glowing with the eternal cold of the Underearth, his dead smile able to paralyze with fear, his fingers longing for the soft flesh of the living. The Ice Revenant stepped out of his chamber, knowing that the time for awakening had come – the ancient prophecy had been fulfilled. He had to check and be sure of it. First, he turned his attention to the other side, as his gaze penetrated the veil between realities, looking straight into Hell. What he saw confirmed what had happened. Then, he turned his attention towards the third planet from the Sun. What he sensed was again according to the expectations. Finally, he turned his attention to the small moon itself. The tremendous source of supernatural power that he sensed within a compound of human-made buildings surprised him at first, yet it was regarded as a final confirmation of the current situation.

Still, he had not expected to sense _that _on this forsaken moon. Perhaps the plan was changed? He decided to wait and observe carefully what was going on. He would not awaken the others for now. If he still had any flesh on his icy face, he would have smiled.

He went deeper into the crypts, looking for the sealed chamber where the tomes of infernal wisdom were kept. He would need to check a few things, so that he would make the right decision when the time comes.

And for now – he would hide and wait patiently for something to disrupt the status quo.


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER V: THE FIRST VISION**

* * *

_I clearly remembered an encounter from the dark past of humanity – a vile Heresiarch, his loyalty to Hell reaching pure insanity._

"I am sorry, sir, but we do not have any information for you at the moment. If you would like to check later..."

Kyle just sighed and walked away from the "Information" desk. That was amazing – _they _did not have information. All the chaos in the star port was probably related to the restoration of the planet, and the many flights back and forth to the moon, the space stations, and the spaceships high in orbit. Some people wanted to return to their homes, others wanted to get a far away as possible from the ruins of their homes. Kyle wanted to leave the place – he could only associate it with bad memories. He had been here twice before – the first time was when he was sent to Mars, on a cold evening. The second time was a few months ago when he fought demons and tried to let humanity escape from the clutches of the enemy force field. And now, he was going to Io – having no idea what would await him there. He looked for yet another time through the files he was given. The photograph of a menacing-looking person was staring at him with his black eyes. That man was Simon L. Stalker, PhD. His file gave a long list of special achievements in the fields of microbiology and genetics, as well as numerous notes about rules violations and other incidents that pointed at the professor's volatile and aggressive personality. Kyle noticed another thing – despite his biological specialization, Dr. Stalker had conducted thorough historical research – especially in the already ancient period of 1920 – 1960. The marine could not remember anything specific about that period, especially since he was not interested in history.

He moved to the other lobby, which was empty. People did not come here as it was not cleaned yet – there were bloodstains on the walls, as well as a few piles of something that could possibly be the charred remains of some creature. The restoration of the star port was a long and complicated process – they would clean up that particular room only after taking care of the more important sectors. Kyle went there to be alone and try to relax. He was sleepy, yet was afraid to sleep – the nightmares had returned. "It's all in your head," he told to himself, appealing to his reason who knew that the demonic threat was dealt with efficiently... for the moment. He sat down and waited. There would probably be a few hours before his transport would be ready to depart. The travel to Io was the longest tour one could do. The preparations on the ship were long and extensive.

Sitting there, in the cold dank lobby, Harlan felt sleepier than before – the tension from the previous days hung heavily on him, the nights spent awake had their effect, the quiet room and the benches... The strange whispers that came from one corner of the room... He could not even try to react to that.

Kyle could not resist any longer – he fell asleep right there on the bench. The whisper grew stronger, turning into a voice that sounded very familiar. Where had he heard it? What did it say? "Listen well, human," it said "And watch carefully. Do not resist me – I will not harm you." As the marine fell asleep, bright light exploded in his mind and images appeared. Suddenly, the vision overwhelmed his mind and filled his thoughts.

* * *

It was sunny and hot. The blazing sun stood still in the clear sky, throwing its unbearable heat on anything below it. Grassy fields and a small town in the distance – what epoch could that be? Along a dusty road came a lonely man, a young priest as it seemed. He carried something on his back – something very long, wrapped in a torn leather bag, a staff of some kind or a very long scepter. There was something in the man's eyes – a grim determination to do something, and also sadness – immense sadness. As the man passed, Kyle could see where he was going – alone in the grassy fields stood an imposing cathedral. The priest approached it, his pace getting slower as if he was afraid of something.

The garden in front of the temple was long-neglected. An old rusty scythe stood by the wall, right next to a dried fountain. A broken pillar with inscriptions, an old skull of a goat and piles of rubbish were all over the place. The only living creature beside the priest was a black cat that was watching every step he made towards the door. He stopped in front of it and looked up – above him was a huge painting of saint that looked down upon the people who would gather there. Yet, there was something evil and distorted in the person from the painting, the flames rising behind him looked very much like the fires of Hell, the man's bloodshot eyes were looking with bitter hatred towards the intruder in that quiet hot day. The priest did not look at the painting for long – he opened the door and stepped in.

The antechamber had seven gates leading in different directions and a cross in the center – one that was rusted and nearing the point when it would fall apart. A small box was left in that room, previously used for charity, as people put coins in it. The priest looked inside – there were thirty pieces of silver inside, covered in dust. He ignored that and opened one of the gates, revealing the main hall of the cathedral. He stopped with surprise – the hall was empty, yet there were traces of fire that had burned on the wooden floor. The young man was not scared – he passed the small pond filled with blood and the piles of old human bones resting in the corners without even looking at them. He stopped at the altar where a book was left – its pages torn and stained with blood. The pentagram symbol drawn above did not bode well.

He took a corridor that led to the rear side of the cathedral, where the apse was located. The corridor was completely empty, though the lighter spots on the floor were a sign that there were object there before. The young man stopped, as if he needed to regain his confidence, and looked through the window – a dark pall had fallen over the sunny day, and dark clouds were approaching the cathedral with unnatural speed. The priest sighed and went on, going past a dead lamb that was left bloodied in one niche. He entered the apse... and stood still with terror.

The doors behind him were shut by an invisible force. A human figure in a black robe sat on an octagonal golden plate in the room's center. Suddenly, it became dark; thunder sounded and rain of blood poured from the sky. A blood-chilling scream was heard from the outside as darkness veiled the chamber's windows. The robed man turned around and looked at the visitor, his eyes glowing like charcoals. Beside him, on an ebony table rested black bread and a cup of moldy wine. The creature stared at the young priest and spoke. "Eat! Drink! Partake in the Unholy communion and become my follower in Lord Baphomet's name!"

"Never!" The young man looked very scared yet determined. He felt that his heart would burst out of his chest. The robed figure's disgusting laughter made the room tremble. His teeth started to get longer and sharper. "Then, you will die and I shall claim your soul." The heretic slowly raised his hands, eerie light dancing around the fingers.

What happened then, Kyle could not see clearly. The young man pulled out something long from the bag that he had carried on his back and showed it to the creature. "Do you recognize this, demon?" he yelled. The robed man stepped back in terror and lifted his hands, as if trying to protect his face from the thing he saw. "Take it away! Take it away!" he screamed.

The priest threw the object at the heretic and bright flash filled the world. Kyle heard the distant roar of a terrible explosion and saw a smoldering crater that remained where the cathedral was. The people from the nearby town were rushing towards the site. Then, suddenly the scene changed and Kyle found himself on a vast plane of fire. The heretic was there, along with thousands of other robed figures that appeared to be his followers. They were scared and looked around in disbelief. The heretic was smiling as if he had expected that. In that moment an enormous visage appeared in the sky above – a terribly ugly face that Kyle immediately recognized.

Baphomet. The monarch of Hell.

The great demon lord spoke to the humans below in an ancient language. They all cheered and shouted the demon's name.

The scene changed once again – the Heresiarch and his followers were kneeling before the great demon, their shapes started to blur and seemingly vaporize. Kyle witnessed as their souls were bound to a huge gem – a perfectly shaped human skull, made from finest ruby. When the heretic and his followers were all trapped within that ruby skull, Baphomet picked it up and spoke: "Sleep now, and remain hidden for ages. Your patience will be well rewarded. Wait until the time comes, and then you will be granted the vengeance you have always sought. Sleep now..."

The vision faded and darkness swallowed the marine. The familiar voice that spoke before the vision began, appeared again: "Remember what you saw, for it is a shadow of the past, yet a premonition of things to come. A dangerous enemy awaits you, and you will need all the strength and skill that you possess. Now wake up, the time for your departure has come..." Kyle tried to say something...

* * *

"Corporal Harlan. Wake up – it is time for the transport to depart."

The marine jumped up and looked around. He was in the shabby lobby, and Lieutenant Anderson was standing nearby, waiting for him. Kyle picked up his old backpack that accompanied him ever since his departure to Phobos when the invasion began. The chaos in the main hall was even greater as another large group of evacuated humans had just arrived from Earth orbit. The first thing that those people asked was whether they would be able to return to their homes, if they still existed. Harlan tried not to look at them – he had seen enough tragedy over the last few months. Outside one of the buildings was an area guarded by marines. There was the spaceship that would take him to Io. The other soldiers that would travel together with Kyle were excited or worried about traveling so far. The marine did not feel anything for his thoughts were somewhere else. He remembered the vision and the voice that spoke before and after it. He recognized that voice.

It was the voice of the Gatekeeper.

* * *

_* Author's note:_ This little episode with the Heresiarch in the cathedral is based on a short horror story I wrote when I was in the 9th grade. My literature teacher wasn't very happy about it, but my classmates seemed to like it ;)


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER VI: THE SKY OF IO**

* * *

_The first colony on the Moon was an impressive achievement for a species that could hardly stop fighting amongst each other._

The space station was cramped and dirty, yet Kyle preferred it to the alternative – UAC Mars City 1. The memories from that place were strong, and there were quite a few people there that he did not want to see. During his first journey, the transport had not stopped there, and Kyle could only see the huge metal structure floating through the emptiness of space. "A piece of metal," that is how the Gatekeeper had described it. The description was completely accurate.

Space station "Apollo" was the first station to be built far away from Earth orbit – between the moon and Mars. Named after an ancient spacecraft that was the first to land humans on the moon, it was always considered as the last stop before the conquering of the red planet. Possessing the largest share of it, the UAC did not spend their time improving the safety systems that could save the lives of astronauts, instead they sent a quickly designed and assembled spacecraft, praying that there would not be fatal accident in space. It landed on Mars and returned successfully. The special examinations afterwards revealed the dozens of design flaws accidents that could have resulted in disaster...

The station consisted of sixteen modules, assembled in four levels – each module able to be sealed off from the others in case of incidents. Each of these compartments had a specific purpose: hangar, crew quarters, storage, laboratories, workshop, and others. The crew was kept at a constant number of twenty. The training for a position there was hard and demanding, the payment was low. Still, working on "Apollo" had several long-term benefits that everyone knew about, though they were supposed to be secret. Fortunately, there had not been any problems within the station, and the UAC, who had become the sole owner of the place, thought of expanding it, as the traffic to Mars and Io was increasing.

Kyle spent his time looking through the files he was given. He noticed that the Io base had implemented PDAs, which were obligatory for each colonist. These little devices supported communications, as well as personal data collection and storage, and the uploading of access authentications. Kyle already had one such device – an older model but perfectly usable. Another thing he read was the fact that Io Base Alpha had requested additional marine and scientific personnel, yet the UAC had replied that the restoration of Earth engaged all of what was left of their resources. Harlan considered this for a moment – the personnel request could only mean that the situation at the base had changed significantly due to unexpected events. Perhaps they had discovered something – the ancient crypts that contained a demonic outpost, or something even worse... Then he looked at the data on Dr. Stalker's equipment requests. There were many things that made no sense. He asked for clothes – simple maintenance worker suits without anything special on them. He also asked for reagent tanks – special devices used for long and slow chemical reactions, as well as fermentation and fungi cultivation. What else – the Stalker also requested a number of chemicals that were used to exterminate bacteria... or induce mutations in them. The final thing was a weird request for steroids and synthetic adrenaline. Kyle sighed – that scientist was doing something weird, though no one had any idea what it was.

The doctor had not sent any reports of what he had done, yet that was a minor trouble compared to some recent events. Five marines had disappeared in the last few months. That confirmed Kyle's suspicions of the discovery of something extraordinary. The reports mentioned of tension among the colonists, as well as cases of missing supplies, though it was noted that the reason for that could be wrong records on initial delivery. Harlan could only assume that Dr. Stalker was somehow involved in the things that happened there – if he was, the marine would take care of him.

"No one threatens the lives of space marines and goes away unpunished!"

The shuttle departed after half an hour of maneuvering, in order to avoid damaging the station's crude structure. Through the armored windows, Kyle could see Mars and Phobos in the distance. He glanced at the emptiness where Deimos used to be and the memories returned again, together with the nightmares of what he encountered within the corrupted Deimos base. The marine preferred to stay awake, after yet another vision of the Tower of Babel and the horror that dwelled there. The cool steel walls calmed him, even though he knew that they were the only thing to separate him from the void behind them. That thought reminded him of the Void Sphere that still rested quietly in his backpack. Whatever he tried, it remained dark and inactive – perhaps it was permanently damaged. He wanted to keep it as a reminder of the threats that still hung over humanity.

Mars was now far behind, and the colossal shape of Jupiter was ahead. Because of the planet powerful gravity, spaceships had to perform special maneuvers and fly by specially calculated trajectories in order to land safely and not be sucked by the planet itself. Io was already visible, together with several of the other moons – Ganymede, Calysto, and Adrastea. The pilot's voice informed the passengers that the ship would land within one hour. Everyone looked at the giant planet and the furious storm that raged within its atmosphere ever since it was observed by humanity. The view from Io would be glorious as the sky was filled with the monstrous planet.

* * *

The landing was successful. When the obligatory procedures were over, the new marines and Kyle were met by a man whose eyes had the color of arctic ice, though his hair was completely black. His face bore the scar of a blade, as well as strong determination and worries. His assistants went to the other marines, while he approached Kyle without hesitation.

"Corporal Kyle Harlan, I am Major Nicholas Boyd, commander of the marines stationed at Io Base Alpha. I am pleased to meet you, as I was told that you had played a big role in defeating the demons at the Earth star port. You were sent here with special recommendations, and statements of your great experience and knowledge of the invaders that were recently defeated. I have also been told to provide you with access to classified information and brief you about the recent events here. All this will happen tomorrow. My assistants will show you to your room."

Kyle wanted to ask a question, yet the Major was quicker:

"All will be made clear to you tomorrow, Corporal. I am very busy at the moment because of the new marines that have to be prepared and briefed for their duties. Please accept my apologies. You will receive a message on your PDA with the details on the strategic briefing tomorrow. You will also receive a file that you will upload on your device, in order to receive all access that you are authorized for. Oh... one last thing, when I say tomorrow, you should keep in mind that there are no days and nights on Io. For convenience purposes, our time measurement is a 24-hour day/night cycle, based on the local time at the star port that you departed from. Right now, the time is 18:24. Your PDA will adjust its clock automatically from the main server. Have a nice day."

The Major saluted and went away together with two Lieutenants. The assistants came and showed Kyle his room – a bit better than his tent, providing everything necessary for a soldier. There was even a laptop on the table – a bit outdated, yet useful. Above the table was a small window... through it the raging atmosphere of Jupiter could be seen, filling Io's sky, looking as if it would fall down, and crush the tiny human colony beneath its titanic mass.

"The sky of Io. I have heard so much about its beauty... as well as about people who went insane just by watching it. What a monster! And some day, perhaps, there would be a colony where Saturn will be seen in the sky. For now, the restoration of Earth is the main priority."

After everything was arranged, and the PDA was updated with all necessary data, he decided to take a look around. He explored the map of the base. It was divided into four main sectors – a scientific compound, a military base and stockpile, main colony (the place where he currently was), and an abandoned high security experimental facility where the UAC intended to perform dimensional Gateway research. Fortunately, it was permanently abandoned... Io had no breathable atmosphere, as well as no dangerous radiation emissions or any natural phenomena that could threaten a human in an appropriate protective suit.

Kyle was thirsty and that was a good reason to find the canteen and see what it offered. As he approached the large hall, he heard a quarrel somewhere ahead. As he entered, he saw the small colonial cafeteria and a man, scientist as the clothes suggested, who shouted at the scared young woman who tended the place.

"You pitiful, mindless excuse for a human! What is this? WHAT IS THIS?! I specially asked for dark strong tea without any sugar – as bitter as possible! And what is this putrid slime you gave me? Are you so stupid or just extraordinarily lazy?"

The girl was shocked and could not move or speak as the man kept shouting.

"Worthless wretch! I will recommend that you be replaced with someone who is not that useless."

He threw the cup of tea on the floor and turned around. It was then that Kyle recognized him. Doctor Simon Stalker, his gaze as insane as it appeared in the photographs, with pens and small flasks of reagents in his pockets.

"What the Hell are you gawking at? Don't you have to march back and forth senselessly, soldier boy? Get back to work before I report on you."

Kyle realized that Dr. Stalker was talking to him. The scientist turned around once again, and went away trough the rear exit of the hall. The girl remained there, too shocked to react. Kyle decided to go away, the scientist's words still echoing in his mind. He did not like Dr. Stalker from the very beginning, and now he was starting to despise him.

He completely forgot about eating and drinking. Some sleep would help him, as he had not closed his eyes for a moment in the last week. Harlan went back to his room and locked the door. With people like Stalker around, it seemed prudent.


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER VII: THE SECRET OF IO**

* * *

_They accepted everything with surprising joy and naïveté, falling deeper into the darkness that I had prepared for them._

Corporal Harlan woke up, feeling very bad, as if he had not slept at all. He would have to meet Major Boyd today, as well as make his first attempt at observing what was going on at the UAC base. His bad expectations about Dr. Stalker had found their proof, and that gave him a slight feeling of satisfaction. Kyle hoped he would be able to find something that would be enough to send the unstable scientist somewhere else, preferably a place with bars on the windows and padded walls. His intelligence briefing would be after an hour – that was enough time to get prepared and have a much-needed snack. He looked at the small sink on the wall – there was some toothpaste – "Jupiterion Extra Whitening." He frowned – he hoped the other items that the colony produced on its own did not bear such ridiculous names. The water tasted funny. He tried not to think that what he washed his mouth with was recycled water from the base sewers where all waste went. It was carefully refined yet he could not suppress the shivers of disgust that ran down his spine. He could only suppose that he would get used to it after some time...

The coffee's taste was even worse. Quietly, the marine poured it into a pot with a flower. His knowledge of synthetic coffee's contents was enough to tell him that the plant would be efficiently nourished by the liquid.

"Why do they even try to imitate it? They can just give us some fertilizer and a couple of vitamin pills for dinner..."

Kyle did not have the courage to try the tea, remembering the effect it had on the Stalker (though it was certain that the doctor was a jerk anyway). The marine finally decided not to eat anything until he had asked the marines about what was edible in the base. He glanced at one of the windows – a terrible storm ravaged the clouds in the atmosphere of Jupiter, while some unknown vapors rose from the surface of Io. If he did not have important tasks to perform, he would spend a whole day staring at the sky of Io and the greatest planet in the Solar System that followed its path in space as it had for millennia. For a second he wondered whether the Gatekeeper had seen something as breathtaking as that view...

The warm room was well decorated, and there was some food on the table – a fact that revived Kyle's optimistic outlook on life. Major Boyd was already there, looking through some folders that were assembled before him. He noticed the marine after closing the last one.

"Ah, Corporal Harlan, I was expecting you. Please have a seat." The Major started, "If you are thirsty, you may try this thing in front of you. It was delivered this morning – the newest product by the UAC, a refreshing drink for tired colonists. We are the first to try it out. If no one dies, they will sell it on Earth. That was a joke..."

Kyle did not notice the joke – he looked at the metal can on the table – completely white, with a one proud blue **V** on the front. Below it was the title "Vorta – Cola" and the UAC logo.

"They are also planning to release a "diet" version of the thing. Apparently, someone thought that it would help people rebuild Earth faster. You know, sometimes I am very happy that I am not one of those corporate robots. So... before we begin, I would like to know what you already know. What have you been told before coming here?" the Major asked.

"Sir, I was sent here with a special assignment, whose primary objective is to observe and report on the activities of a specific troublesome person on this colony." Kyle replied.

"Our beloved Dr. Simon Stalker, isn't it? Most people, including myself, start hating him from the very first time they meet him. The other scientists pity him, claiming that his bad temper is because of too much stress. Ha! If it was like that, all marines would have gone insane by now. You, Corporal Harlan, are an interesting case. I was informed that you played a significant role in the demons' defeat, though their sudden mass retreat is still a mystery. Perhaps, they were scared by hearty men like you, eh?"

"Indeed, sir." Kyle said, concealing his uneasiness, "We fought the monsters and held them at bay until they ended their invasion. They got what they deserved."

"This morning, yet another secret order arrived – you have been granted full access to our secret files, as well as to the knowledge of our most recent discovery."

Kyle felt cold for a second. A discovery? He was not informed about that. His first thought was that they had somehow stumbled upon a demonic outpost. If that was true, he would have to take a look at it as soon as possible.

"Discovery, sir?" Kyle asked cautiously.

"Yes, Harlan, an underground network of caverns, which appear to be artificial."

Underground caverns? It could be the outpost he sought. Some luck he had – finding it so soon. This fact was slightly worrying.

"Sir, what makes you think they are artificial." the marine was still cautious.

"The metal gate covered with weird markings is sufficient proof, I believe. We found it at the end of the caverns and we have been unable to open it so far."

A gate. That was it! They had found the demonic outpost, and Kyle had to examine it and determine what to do next.

"The caverns we discovered were completely empty," the Major continued, "There were some traces of digging, many walls appeared to be scorched, and that gate is a definite sign that something lies down there. We are planning to send a special expeditionary force down there tomorrow, which will try to find a way to open that gate – two scientists and a detachment of marines, led by a Corporal. We have not yet chosen who that Corporal would be..."

Sir, if you need my services I am ready to..." Kyle suggested.

"Harlan, currently you are the only Corporal on Io Base Alpha. The orders I received were specific – you are to lead those men. I cannot imagine what you have done to impress the high command so much. You saved the president or something?"

"I was... only doing what I had to do," Kyle felt worries rising in him, "I defended a whole city and perhaps that convinced them to..."

"Sorry for interrupting you again, Harlan, this is not essential right now. I can see that you are a good soldier, and I rarely make mistakes while assessing people. I believe that I can trust you. I also believe that you will not fail me. Am I right?"

"Certainly, sir. I will do my best." Kyle breathed a sigh of relief.

"I know you will. Before you leave, is there anything that you would like to ask?"

Kyle was about to say "No" but something important came to his mind...

"Sir, I would like to know how Dr. Simon Stalker reacted to the discovery. What do you think his intentions are?"

"Oh, that is one of the most surprising things – he is not interested at all. We informed him about it, and he told us (in his usual hostile manner) that he was way too busy to be bothered with it. He has not asked anything about the discovery. He has not seen the caverns, even though the other scientists did. He is completely indifferent."

"Strange. Perhaps, he is so obsessed with himself and his "epochal discoveries" or he feels too great to deal with such matters? I do not think we can trust him – I will watch him closely," Kyle murmured.

"I approve that." Major Boyd nodded, "He has become even stranger in the last month. He does not allow anyone inside his laboratories, and we know that he is working on something – there were many nights he spent awake, working on something. He has deliberately damaged all security cameras in his laboratories, so that we cannot keep track of what he does. He threatens the repair teams and constantly installs new locks and padlocks on his door. I am sure that he is working on something that I would not approve. Just a few days ago he came to me asking if we had pistols with damaged handles. He wanted us to send him all those pistols, after removing the handles completely. We could not find a reason to refuse, so we did send him those damaged weapons. I have no idea what he needs them for."

"Damaged pistols? They are useless, unless repaired. Would he smelt them or integrate them into something. Whatever it is, he only wastes necessary weaponry. I am not an opponent of scientific progress, but there are boundaries of acceptance for everything." Kyle was becoming more concerned.

"Do not get angry about this, Corporal. It is useless – that man is illogical. I have to leave you now. Have another can of Vorta – Cola if you like. If you start feeling strange, see our physician. Another joke... So long for now."

* * *

The Major walked out of the meeting room, leaving Kyle alone with his thoughts. He was still very tired and wanted to go back to his room and sleep. The cold grey corridors outside all looked the same, except for the convenient signs put there by the maintenance personnel. As he approached his room, he heard a coarse voice behind him.

"So, you are the new one? A fresh addition to the meat-grinder, I see. Rest assured, you will not enjoy your stay here."

Kyle turned around to face the nasty grin of Dr. Stalker.

"Can I help you with something?" Kyle struggled to remain calm and not demonstrate his contempt.

"It is not necessary. We don't get new recruits often, so I just wanted to welcome you to Io Base Alpha. You have arrived right on time." – the doctor's voice was as cold as a steel blade.

"What do you mean?" Kyle asked.

The doctor did not answer – he turned around and walked away without saying anything else. Corporal Harlan looked after him for a few more seconds, trying to determine whether he was annoyed enough to give him a fist in the face. He returned to his room without doing that.

"I don't like you. I definitely don't like you."


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER VIII: THE SECOND VISION**

* * *

_The same was with the ancient warlord, and his frenzied warriors who came to Hell after ages of pillaging and murders in some northern regions of your world._

Kyle knew he had to get some sleep. His head was pulsating with the heavy thoughts of the expedition that waited and the disturbing actions of Dr. Stalker, who apparently was up to no good. What did he mean by "right on time"? A signal of his intentions or the ramblings of a sick mind – his model of thinking was incomprehensible for any of the UAC psychologists. Unstable, yet a genius, whose IQ could not be measured by classic scales, as it was much higher than their upper limits. The marine thought that the doctor could not do much harm even if he worked on something infernally horrible; having in mind that he was far away from Earth. Still he could harm the colonists on Io, which seemed illogical, as he would not have any gain from such an act. With every new discovery Kyle made, the mystery about Dr. Stalker only grew.

He guessed things would become clearer after exploring the ancient crypts that were discovered.

It was still early, yet Harlan felt very tired and dizzy. The whole room started to blur, and Kyle suddenly felt worried about having drunk that new UAC beverage he was offered. Then he heard a familiar voice whispering from the corners of the room: "Do not resist me, mortal. You know who I am. Watch carefully; listen carefully to anything I show you. A terrible danger that I had not foreseen has arisen and Dr. Stalker is already in collaboration with _our common enemy_ without even realizing what he is doing. He toys with an ancient force he does not understand, and he has awakened an evil that had remained forgotten for centuries..."

* * *

The room disappeared from Kyle's sight and the Gatekeeper's voice faded away. Several images quickly appeared and disappeared again before him: an enormous palace of unknown design, an orb of power with four runes floating above it, the previous palace – burning and filled with the screams of human suffering... Darkness again, followed by a flash of painful light and a new vision: a vast grassy field on Earth, an enormous encampment in one end, and a burning city at the other. The age was ancient – warriors with mail and plate armor, swords, and axes walked in all directions, some of them seeking healers, others carrying loot. The city's streets were covered with warm blood and dead bodies, as fierce barbaric warriors sought out the last survivors and executed them on the spot. In the city's center was an enormous temple of light and wisdom, which was now desecrated – its doors torn out and lying on the ground, the stained glass windows shattered into pieces, the walls smeared with the foul images of the symbols of Hell and Baphomet. On a throne inside the temple's largest hall sat the leader of those savage warriors – an enormous warlord in heavy gilded armor, holding a huge battleaxe in his hands. That man watched as one of the priests was brutally beheaded before him, and laughed. The other priests stood paralyzed with fear, as they knew their fate would be the same.

Other images appeared – more burning cities, more victims, more suffering. He was always there – the blood-splattered laughing warlord, shouting at his warriors to fight in the name of Baphomet and his infernal power. Kyle felt sick watching all that madness, yet it did not end. He then saw an enormous and ornamented tent where the warlord sat. A long line of captives passed through it, as he decided who would live and who would be tortured and killed. Another ruined city stood in the distance, its smoldering towers – silent witnesses of the atrocities that happened below them. The city's walls were ripped and torn into pieces by a destructive demonic spell that the warlord's warlocks used to penetrate the defenses and slaughter the inhabitants.

Kyle could look closer at the tent – it was very big and filled with trophies – treasure, strange artifacts, tomes of unknown wisdom, and human skulls – some of which still covered with fresh blood. There were many weapons on the walls – common human-made swords, axes, and bows, as well as several blades that Kyle recognized as forged by demons. There was also an imposing throne with two women – chained by its sides. Kyle felt sick again – he wished this would end soon.

Once again, he saw the line of captives. One of them caught his attention – he moved silently between the others carrying something on his back – something long and thin, resembling the object that the young priest carried in the previous vision. None of the guards seemed to notice him, as if he was invisible. As he approached the throne, the warlord looked up and stared straight into him. A moment later, he was shouting orders at the guards who also saw the intruder, as if the spell of invisibility had suddenly dispersed. The intruder was quicker – he threw something that he took out of the bag, blurred in the vision. It hit the warlord square in the chest, and the he was suddenly devoured by darkness.

Kyle saw himself upon the plains of Inferno, the Hell Keep rising behind him, the barbaric army and their warlord standing in the distance. A gruesome laughter sounded, and Baphomet's face appeared in the burning skies. His voice uttered an order and a human skull shaped from flawless topaz appeared before him. It started to devour the souls of the fierce barbaric warriors until only their warlord remained. Baphomet's voice thundered once again: "More bloody battles await you, throughout worlds you have never imagined! Sleep now, until the time comes for you to rise again. Then thou shall not challenge mere humans anymore, but rise to battle the Old Gods themselves, as you make your bid for the eternal power of the Elder Worlds." Terrible laughter shook the ground, the image blurred again...

...and Kyle awoke.

He needed a few minutes to calm down and start breathing normally. He was still in shock after what he saw. He could not understand why the Gatekeeper would show him these things, or even help him at all. What could be the terrible danger that made the ancient demon speak to him and warn him about it? How was the Stalker involved in all this? What was this "common enemy" the demon mentioned? He wished he could know the answers right away, yet it was not possible. There were a few hours before the expedition. He would better try to sleep.

As he lay in his bed, Kyle remembered the warning he had received from the dying Gatekeeper. The Old Gods, the hidden outpost of Hell, the crypts discovered on Io, the potential survivors in Hell, the Gatekeeper's ghostly voice, Dr. Stalker – it had become more complicated than ever, like an diabolical puzzle.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Kyle Harlan ruminated over his recent visions, Dr. Stalker was in his laboratory, looking at the readings on his screen.

"Amazing. Its effect is not only instantaneous, but it also does not have any limitations in any of the pertinent operating parameters. It can even go past the..."

The scientist looked up with an insane flame in his eyes.

"Could it really penetrate it? Could it go where no one has been since the dawn of time? And neither the Lord of Hell, nor his Gatekeepers knew anything about it! It surpasses their innate dimension-shifting powers tenfold. Still needs adjustment – it is unstable, very unstable... Maybe I can attempt to..."

A few buttons were pressed, something hummed in the darkness for a few seconds, and Dr. Stalker looked at the readings again.

"Well, I'll be damned! It succeeded! It must have succeeded – how else could I explain these readings – the system marks them as "anomalous," while they should actually be labeled as "unique." These patterns – this is what so many have sought over the centuries. The entrance, now within my grasp, standing open before me, inviting me to cross over. But not yet..."

The doctor stood up, and looked at something that remained hidden in the shadows of the laboratory. A sadistic grin appeared on his face.

"First things first. These fools at the base have no idea what is coming for them. Once they have all been taken care of, I will proceed with this. Nothing will stop me..."

The strange headache that had tormented him for many years appeared again, dark whispers rose in his mind. He took another pill and turned the lights off.

"It begins tomorrow..."


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER IX: DEEPEST REACHES**

* * *

_...Hell Knights, the mighty offspring of Baphomet's beard, had come from the darkest corners of Hell..._

A fresh clip in the gun, four spare clips on the belt, the old trusty shotgun from Phobos on the back – that was all Kyle needed to feel safe wherever he went. He wished he could take a rocket launcher or a plasma rifle, yet he was warned about the potential instability of the underground caverns. The troops under his command looked experienced and hardened – Harlan hoped he could rely on them in every possible situation. Major Boyd would accompany them in their underground quest, yet the Corporal would run the show. No scientists would enter the crypt before it was secured. Kyle expected the worst – he tried to remember the common weaknesses of all demons he had encountered. He had taken one Berserk pack, a pair of light amplification visors, and an ammo backpack – these were supposed to help him survive anything that might await him below.

Another squad of marines was stationed at the crypts' entrance, ready to intervene in case something invaded from underground. Kyle told them to check carefully every marine that came out – zombified ones were to be killed on the spot. Then he turned his attention towards the caverns... The natural rocks of Io were grey in color, with a slight blue hue. Within their cold embrace, the marine felt safer than he did under the raging skies of Io. There were patches of quartz crystals throughout the cave, as well as tiny fissures that emitted small clouds of gas – carbon dioxide as the readings showed. At several places, the walls bore the traces of the colonists' drilling machines. Rock chunks were scattered all over the floor, and that made movement slow. The tunnel got narrower as they advanced until it finally reached the huge metal gate.

It was wide open.

The marine's instincts took over, and they assumed defensive positions. They knew the gate was closed tight during their previous visit. Someone had entered that place... or perhaps someone went out. It was perfectly quiet – no sign of enemies could be noticed. Kyle threw a glance at Major Boyd, he only nodded. The order was given and the squad entered the cold crypt.

The corridor was made of black marble, covered with unknown runes and images of foul demons. There were no visible light sources, yet the tunnel was illuminated and the marines did not need their flashlights. Memories of the Temple of Darkness made Harlan nervous – he looked in the distance trying to see the threat before it could come closer. The tunnel slowly expanded into a hallway that led straight into a large hall. Numerous demonic statues were positioned by the walls. While the marines examined the place with unease, Kyle recognized some of the creatures he saw. Thirteen of the statues represented Gatekeepers. Others were Barons of Hell, Arch Viles, and Imps. As the squad exited the room, Harlan took a glance at one of the Gatekeeper statues – it looked slightly different from the others, not like stone, but rather like it there was a hidden force within it. The marine felt like the statue watched his every move, trying to read his mind. The squad moved on, deeper into the crypt.

They reached a large hall that looked like an amphitheater – with rows of what could be seats and a central arena with an altar in its middle. They stopped before the hall's entrance to examine their surroundings. No signs of life could be found. Kyle turned to Major Boyd.

"Sir, I suggest we stop for a while. We haven't seen anything alive yet, but I have the feeling that something is not quite right in this place. We should also be aware of the possible existence of traps."

"I agree, Harlan." The Major nodded, "This hall ahead – it is empty and offers defensive positions. We shall stop there. Move the squad in, I will watch your back... just in case."

The Major turned towards the tunnel watching for potential danger, while the squad entered the large hall one by one. Kyle went in last and turned around to call the Major...

The door was suddenly shut separating the two men. Dark shadows crawled through the amphitheater as the light source was diminished. The marines immediately arranged themselves in a circle, loading their weapons. Corporate Harlan took out the shotgun. He could sense their presence – they had been waiting for the squad and prepared this trap. He hoped that the Major would find a way to open that door from the other side before...

"Hell Knights!"

The marine's scream turned Harlan's attention towards the entrances in the rear end of the hall. A large horde of Hell Knights poured through them, invading the hall like a swarm of locusts that waited for the right moment to descend upon the humans below.

"Do not break the formation! Use your shotguns! Aim for the head!" – As Kyle shouted, the last words were deafened by the sound of simultaneous shots.

"Do not allow them to come closer! Dodge the bolts of energy they throw at you. Do not get close to them..."

Despite the heavy casualties they sustained, two waves of Hell Knights charged into the marines' ranks, breaking their formation and killing several of them before Kyle could react.

"Scatter! Take cover; try to take them down one by one! Concentrate your fire!"

Smoke and terrible noise filled the hall as humans and demons were locked in a bloody battle for survival. Many of the demons had fallen, but the marine squad was severely crippled. Three marines and Kyle desperately fought to push back the invaders and give Major Boyd some time to open the door from the other side. The marines had run out of shotgun shells, and they used their pistols, concentrating their shots at single targets. Two more Hell Knights fell when an energy bolt hit one of the marines. He fell dead on the floor.

"Hold your ground, they are not invincible! The door will be opened soon." Kyle wished he could believe in his own words...

One marine fell under the green energy bolts, the survivors took cover among the amphitheater rows, raining hot lead death upon the demons that already howled in triumph. They jumped on the platforms, preparing to finish the humans off. A marine tried to retreat, yet he could not avoid the swiping claws of one of the demons. The wound in his throat and the severe blood loss weakened him within seconds and he fell senseless on the floor. Kyle was all alone.

For the first time, Harlan felt that he might lose the battle. There were too many of them, and they were faster and stronger as if under the effect of a demonic spell. He was cornered – his shotgun killed two, two more replaced them in an instant. One of the beasts heaved an energy bolt at the ceiling, and a chunk of rock fell on Harlan's head. The pain that exploded in his skull was followed by encroaching darkness and the cold embrace of unconsciousness. Seconds before Kyle lost all sense to the world, he saw the Hell Knights suddenly turn towards one of the tunnels that exited from the hall – they seemed very surprised by whatever they saw coming from this direction. Then it all went dark...

* * *

Waking up had never been so painful before. Kyle slowly opened his eyes, his head aching as if it was filled with toxic slime. Slowly, his vision cleared and what he saw reminded him of what happened. He beheld the ravaged hall, the marine bodies all over the floor, and the corpses of Hell Knights. Major Boyd was inside, checking the fallen marines – the huge hole in the door was a sign that despite the instability warnings he had used explosives to get inside.

Then he saw the last of the demons – the ones that were about to kill him before he lost consciousness. They were all dead – their bodies scattered in all directions by an unknown force. The corpses were filled with dozens of bullet holes, as if a frenzied marine with a chaingun had slaughtered them. Kyle stood up slowly.

"You are awake. Good, we must get out of here immediately." The Major's voice was bitter. "They are all dead... except for that lad close to you with the wound in the throat – he is still alive despite the blood loss. We must take him to medical quickly and he might live to tell about this day."

The Major looked at the marine's nametag.

"Shade Boaventura – I will carry him, he is one of my marines, and I am responsible for his survival. Come on, Harlan – they might return soon. We must get out of here."

"Sir, thank you for saving us – you have done a good job with those Hell Knights." Kyle managed to say.

"What do you mean Harlan?" the Major was sincerely surprised, "When I entered the room, the Hell Knights were already dead."

Kyle froze in place. If the major had not killed these demons... who was it?

"Judging by their wounds, Corporal, they have been felled by at least two chaingunners. In this case, where are they? I gave strict orders about no one following the squad."

The Major examined the wounds – they looked like pistol-inflicted, yet were as numerous as if a chaingun was used. Or perhaps the assailants were many?

"Sir, I do not know what happened," Kyle's voice was now clearer, "What I remember was that those demons turned towards that tunnel as if they were shocked by whatever came from there. That is all."

"We will talk about that later, Harlan. Let's move out already" – the Major was carrying private Shade and headed for the exit.

Still, Kyle felt that something was very wrong. He took one last look at the room – the rock chunks, the bodies all over the floor, the bloodstains, the small black box...

Small black box?

The marine was suddenly chilled to the bone. He was truly scared as he realized what that item actually was.

A black container! It was not there before.

Before he could shout a warning, the black box hummed and ripples of energy flowed all over its surface. Its top opened, revealing a fearsome wave of darkness that roared through the room, exuding unbearable cold. Then it all went silent.

Major Boyd looked at Kyle, wondering whether to ask what had just happened. Then, one of the dead marines suddenly grabbed his leg.

"Gah!" the officer exclaimed and shot the unrelenting limb. Gruesome groans filled the chamber as the dead marines came back to life, their eyes glowing with unholy fire.

No order was necessary – the two men and the wounded marine they carried ran back towards the exit. Several bullets ricocheted from the walls, as the Former Marines behind them had already mustered their full power and chased their living victims.

"Run! Run, damn it!"

Several other bullets flew by, as the zombies were following closely, unrelenting in their hunt for warm blood. Just a few more meters... they were out in the cave. The zombies did not hesitate and followed them. The Major shouted something in his communications device. As they reached the base, the marines there were waiting. The battle that followed ended with the destruction of all Formers.

Kyle Harlan and Major Boyd had survived. But the nightmare was only beginning...


	11. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER X: EVIL HAS AWAKENED**

* * *

_I smiled – humanity would soon be no more and Hell will become more powerful than ever before._

The flickering red lights seemed to dance together with the nervous howl of the alarms that sounded throughout the Io base. The marines were ordered to take up positions around the dig site quickly, while scientists and lower-ranking personnel were running back and forth in disarray. Above all this, on a higher platform, stood one man and watched the mess with a crooked smile. Doctor Stalker enjoyed watching them and their panic, making notes in his PDA. He then turned to the auxiliary air lock where he saw Kyle Harlan and Nicholas Boyd, carrying someone else who was bleeding heavily. He frowned when he saw them, then stepped back and disappeared into the shadows...

A few minutes later, back in the Major's office, Kyle finally restored his sense of reality. The Major sat on his chair, his eyes almost glowed with anger.

"It is all my fault, Harlan." The Major sighed, "I should have been leading my men, instead of moving in the back. These were all boys that I trained and cared for. Now they are all dead, and our sensors indicate increasing activity underground. Something is really stirring down there. Could you imagine what would happen if those beasts from Hell erupt from the ground, somewhere within the colony? We do not even know how many of them are left down there."

"Sir, I understand how you feel – I... have lost comrades in battle. I was surprised myself and could not fight at my best. I led the operation. I am to blame." Kyle said bitterly.

"No, Harlan, you are not. You could not know that there would be an ambush. You did a brilliant job down there."

A screen nearby showed the marines that had already taken up positions above the dig site. No one came out of the crypt – the demons beneath had gone into hiding. The corpses of zombified marines lay all over the area. It seemed quiet, yet the sensors indicated anomalous energy spikes beneath the surface, though it was not clear what was causing them. The medical team left stimpacks with every group of marines, though they hoped they would not have to use them. Several maintenance workers tried to build barricades and narrow down the number of vulnerable entrances. A scientist stood next to a terminal, configuring the security systems.

The Major turned towards Kyle and asked carefully:

"Harlan, can I ask you to tell me a bit more about yourself. Not the stuff I saw in your official CV and UAC profile. Something more, like the things Colonel Simmons mentioned."

Kyle frowned – his secret had been revealed.

"Believe me, the Colonel told me that it was necessary for me to know about it, especially in light of the recent events here." The Major insisted.

"Yes, Major Boyd, sir... I played quite a major part in what happened. If you have the patience to listen to my tale."

"Go ahead, Corporal. We have time. If there is a problem, we will be informed."

"Of course sir, here is what happened, as brief as possible... I was on duty at UAC Mars City 1, due to a punishment that I will not go deeper into. It was then, that the moons were assaulted. Deimos disappeared as if by magic. Phobos was overrun. A small squad was formed and I was one of them. We landed on Phobos, and I was left to guard the spaceship. My comrades... they were slaughtered in an ambush. I was the only survivor and I decided to check the base myself. I do not know whether it was luck or fate... I survived and reached the Gateway where I defeated two creatures like Hell Knights but much stronger – you have seen these reddish monstrosities. Their defeat allowed me to travel to Deimos, where I faced even greater horrors. While outside on the moon surface, I saw what seemed to be the construction site of a demonic edifice. I also saw the skies above my head were horrendously red and swirling, as if in an agony. As I traveled through the infested base, I beheld many anomalies and infernal horrors, including new demonic species and a demonic fortress that could fade in and out of existence... Once I reached the construction site, I was sent to the tower's roof by a teleporter. There I encountered a Cyberdemon for the first time and hardly survived the battle. Afterwards, I reached the edge of the moon, where a small platform was used by the demons to travel by means of levitation. I looked down and beheld Hell itself burning and raging under me."

Kyle made a short pause, shaken by the memories as they were reborn inside his head.

"Down there I encountered the most unimaginable horrors in my life. It was not only the demons – it was also the hideous locations I had to go through and the disgusting sights of torment and pain that I saw. At the end, there was a giant Spider that nearly killed me. Defeating the beast, I was sent to Earth... and there I encountered demons again. I thought that it was a minor invasion, a leakage from the Gate. But it was not. It was after I killed another Spider that I came to realize that Hell had come to Earth in force and I was helpless. I got word that humanity was trapped and could not evacuate – I led a desperate assault on the infested star port, and fought against many demonic species I had not seen before. Somehow, I survived, passed through the outer facilities and into the core. There I used a gruesomely constructed machine to turn off that force field. Succeeding in my mission, I decided to just wait for death and put an end to the madness... yet my duty called once again and I was sent to my own hometown where the source of the invasion supposedly was. Ruins, dead bodies, and demons... I passed through all this to reach a demonic Gate, and, once again, plunge into the very depths of Hell itself. The battle there was desperate, yet I was able to reach what seemed to be the Demon Lord – a titanic monstrosity that seemed like a living god against me. I still remember its maddening laughter, its harsh voice shouting in a language I did not know... I defeated it somehow. I entered a Gate seconds before it closed... Afterwards it was the months of restoration and another crisis at a UAC facility that focused on Quantum Accelerator research. It was in that facility I faced the greatest of challenges – frenzied demons led by a terrible and cunning demon – something that came to be known as Gatekeeper. The fight against it and its traps and strategies was heavy and quite a few times I almost died. In the end, I was victorious. All that happened about a week ago. That is all that you need to know, sir. That is what I did, and who I am."

For two minutes, Major Boyd remained motionless, as if stunned. Then he moved slowly and looked straight into Kyle's eyes.

"Harlan... my friend, you have... You have literally saved humanity from the forces of Hell. Alone. How is it even possible? You are no longer just a marine for me. You are a hero such as I have never imagined. Do not worry – your secret will be kept."

"Thank you, sir." Kyle was once again relieved.

"As you have experienced so much with these children of Hell, can you help me protect this colony?" the Major asked.

"Of course, sir. I will do my best." and Harlan really meant it.

"I know you will. I guess you are surprised by the demons' sudden withdrawal after we escaped..."

"Yes, sir. Two things bother me." Kyle started, "First, what happened to those Hell Knights who were literally torn into shreds by bullets? Second, who put that Black Container there, in an attempt to kill both of us?"

"I am puzzled as well. I checked carefully before our conversation – no marine entered the crypts after us, specifically no one with a chaingun or any of the sort. As for the Container – any demon may have secretly left it in there while you were unconscious, preparing a gruesome death for both of us."

Harlan wished to reply, but then the video communication screen gave out a signal. Major Boyd accepted the call, and the unpleasant face of Simon Stalker appeared on the screen.

"I am sorry to bother you in a moment like this, gentlemen, but I need you both to come to my laboratory – I have a little problem here..."

"What is wrong, Stalker, you'd better have a good reason to bother me in my office." The Major growled.

"No time to speak, come to me immediately" the doctor momentarily glanced at something that remained outside the range of the camera "It is important – you will see."

The screen went black and Kyle turned his look at the Major.

"I don't like that, sir. The creep is up to no good, I know this ever since I came here."

"Let us go there and check it. Take your weapons with you." the Major replied.

They went out and passed by the marines who were ready to repel attacks on the base. The Major instructed them to keep their eyes open, and communicate among each other so that something does not sneak in silently. Then he and the Corporal went through a corridor with a roof of glass, seeing the breath-taking visage of the sky of Io, where Jupiter hung ominously. They reached the old test center where the doctor had established one of his laboratories. The door was open. They entered and followed a short corridor. Silent and unnoticed, the door closed behind them, a small red light indicating that it was locked.

The two men entered a large hall that was empty, though there were various traces of recent activity on the floor – heavy things had been moved, as if someone deliberately cleared the room in a hurry. The two men stood in the middle of the hall, looking around. No one to be seen. Just then, the big speakers that were installed at an observation room came to life with loud crackling. An armored cover moved to the side and revealed the window of that room. Dr. Stalker was right there.

"Good morning, Major Nicholas Boyd, and Corporal Kyle Harlan. I have been expecting you" – Stalker's voice was colder and more hostile than ever.

"So, what is your problem, Stalker?" the Major demanded.

"My problem is that my great creation is in urgent need of guinea pigs to be tested on... But it seems the hapless critters have already arrived." The Doctor's smile was more unnerving than ever before.

"What is the meaning of this, doctor? Are you threatening us?" Kyle's fingers were already wrapped around his pistol.

"It is not my humble self that threatens you. You, Harlan, were sent here to check what the secret project I had been working on is. Now you will have the opportunity to see for yourself what I have breathed life into – a glorious resurrection of the labor of a scientist who lived and died long ago... I have nothing against you, Major Boyd. Too bad you will have to die too."

As Stalker's last words faded away, numerous doors opened on three sides of the room. Kyle felt a specific chill – the one that he felt right before something terrible was going to happen.

He was truly scared and disgusted when he saw what was coming from the doors...


	12. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER XI: DESPERATE MEASURES**

* * *

_The time was desperate and desperate measures had to be taken!_

It looked like a human, and the body actually had been human once it had undergone some kind of horrendous transformation. The skin was deathly white, the eyes – brightly red. In the chest, there was a mounted submachine gun, connected by wires, and what seemed to be an underdeveloped third arm. The two regular arms held sharp knives that sparkled in the gloom. The face was locked in a cold expression of mindless hatred. This creature... and the many others that came together with it from the tunnels. They all walked in the same manner and arranged themselves around the two men. Then they stopped and stood still, waiting for the commands of their creator.*****

Dr. Stalker was gloating from his position in the observation room. He looked at his children, and the two marines that were trapped among them. What he could not notice was Major Boyd stealthily pressing several buttons on his PDA, after which the screen changed to "message sent."

"So, gentlemen, amazing, isn't it? Technology that came from an ancient time, a time when it was not truly appreciated, and its creators were considered mad. The fruit of one of the most inspiring scientists of all time – the magnificent Doctor Schabbs, who dabbled in biology, robotics, and even the occult. A man who achieved much more than his contemporaries. A man that breached the veil between life and death, as he knew what was the secret ingredient to creating the ultimate killing machine. He never gave a name to his creation, and it was always referred to as the "mutant." Today, gentlemen, you will have the honor to be the first to be executed by the new army of the mutant – an improved design, a lot more efficient and stable than its original incarnation from the 20th century. A day that would have been impossible if I had not recovered Schabbs's journal, which was always thought to have been lost or destroyed. But I do not see you crying because of the great honor that I have bestowed upon you..."

Major Boyd seemed to be too angered to answer, and only gritted his teeth, while Kyle looked at the scientist and uttered:

"You... sick son of a... Have you no shame or dignity? Scientific progress has always been meant to help humanity, not bring about its ruin by summoning demons or creating foul monstrosities."

"Ha! Please, Mr. Harlan, spare me the cheap morality lectures. Are you naïve enough to still believe in the obsolete ideals of Homo sapiens and that humanity as the "pinnacle of all creation"? There are greater things, my fellow human, things you cannot possibly imagine. I forsake the path of trivial discovery and exploration long ago. My new mentor and guide has shown me the path to conquering entire realities!"

"And who is this brilliant mentor of yours?" Major Boyd quietly asked, "I am asking so that I know who will be the next one for me to kill after I am done with you."

Dr. Stalker did not reply, he only shook his head and murmured something to himself. He grimaced as if he had a headache, took a pill, then turned again to the two men.

"The clock is ticking, comrades. There is nothing to complain about – I am giving you a warrior's death – falling in battle, how honorable. Just the way you military folks like it. Now close your eyes and relax, it will end quickly enough."

A subtle gesture and the inhuman creatures moved one step closer, each of them raising its left arm a little. Just as in the cavern with the Hell Knights, Kyle felt that there would be no escape for him. The creatures raised their arms a little more... and they suddenly froze as a beeping sound echoed in the hall. Major Boyd' PDA announced that a message had come, though the officer already knew what the text was. With a swift movement, he pushed the Corporal to the floor...

Just then, the room's doors were shattered into pieces by an explosion, and the space marines poured in. Stalker shouted something in an unknown language, and his monstrosities turned towards the door. They waved their arms in a strange manner as the guns in their chests started firing with surprising speed and deadly accuracy. The first marines fell under the shower of hot lead, but after them came troops with plasma rifles. Blazing orbs of energy flew through the smoke, felling several of the mutants, spilling purple-colored blood all over the two marines, who slowly crawled towards the exit. A few meters more and they would leave the arena of the carnage. More marines had fallen, yet the chaingunners had arrived and repelled the waves of pale soldiers that erupted from the corridor.

"Seal the entrance! Seal the entrance!"

The Major's shout gave new strength to the marines, and one of them set off the charge that was set at the door. As the collapsing of wall panels and concrete blocks ended, the Major stood up and called for the marines to surround the test center and block all exits. There were dead bodies and debris all over the area, and the troops had to organize themselves within the terrible mess. The medics ran around in disarray, while engineers tried to block the system that could open the exits from the laboratory. The Major could finally stop coughing and turn his attention to Kyle.

"I see you are fine, soldier. For my whole career in the corps, I had never seen such a thing. I have always tried to trust scientists, but what I saw today could really turn my attitude upside-down. What shocks me most is that it all that happened right here under my nose... and I knew nothing! Things have become clear now – the supplies for the Stalker, his weird behavior and work routines... even what happened in the cave with the Hell Knights. But how? How?"

"Major, sir, what bothered me inside, and still bothers me now, is how Stalker could supply himself with the human bodies he used to create his mutants?" Kyle replied.

The Major looked bitterly and sighed. He hesitated, but that was only for a moment.

"UAC Program ODDB477," he murmured and slapped himself in the forehead, "I forgot about it as there had been no development on that program for five years. It was a minor project... And the Stalker used that to his advantage, there is no other explanation"

"What is "Program ODDB477," sir?" Kyle asked. Even with his high-level clearance, he had never seen that name.

"Come with me, I will explain you while we walk there."

They left the combat zone, and headed towards the base. Personnel wandered around chaotically, a clear indication of the disturbance that was within the colony. Marines ran towards the accident area, or still remained at their posts, watching for potential danger from the direction of the demonic crypt. The canteen was a total mess – the marines had left very quickly when the sergeant on duty received the automatic message that the Major had prepared long ago, knowing that the presence of Stalker would one day cause a disaster. The message was set to inform all unit commanders about the Major's exact location and that they had to arrive immediately, bringing as many men and firepower as possible.

They passed by the coolant dispensers and headed towards the elevator. The Major pressed the lowest button – "Underground Sub-Chamber 10" – which apparently had not been used for a long time. The screen asked for an ID and a password. After those were provided, the system noted "Access Granted" and the elevator started to descend.

"Corporal Harlan, I think you are well aware that the UAC were working on one special project concerned with justice and crime punishment. A program that aimed at discovering technology that would allow criminals to be changed into normal people "for the better of all human society." Pure brainwashing, in my opinion... What you do not know is that those experiments failed and the UAC decided that they could not announce this to the public as the test subjects were left in a rather crippled state. That is why these unfortunate guys were locked in cryo-chambers, which were conveniently buried far away from prying eyes. Buried here, at the lowest underground level of Io Base Alpha."

Kyle could not reply. He was used to the disgusting practices of the UAC, yet this time he was astonished. "No wonder they brought Hell upon us," he thought.

The elevator stopped. The doors opened slowly with a ghastly sound. The air smelled dank and old, the floor was covered with a thick layer of dust. Many tunnels started from that point, all of them filled with metal containers. The containers were empty.

"As I suspected. Without anyone knowing anything, Dr. Stalker supplied himself with bodies and used them to his own foul ends." The Major was literally trying to squeeze the shotgun he held in his hands.

Kyle went further down the corridor – only empty containers. A quick glance at the security system showed that it had been broken years ago, assuring that no one would know if someone entered the cavern uninvited. The two men went back to the elevator and were on their way to the base, when the Major suddenly remembered something.

"Harlan, that cavern contained hundreds of containers. All of them were empty, yet we only saw about forty or fifty of those mutants up there. Where could all the others be?"

Kyle's sense of foreboding instantly returned – "Sir, you should contact your marines and warn them. It seems the enemy is more numerous than anticipated."

"After a few seconds, we are still too deep to reach the communication framework. A few seconds more."

A few seconds later, the radio suddenly came to life, as shouts, shooting and explosions came out of the speaker.

"Retreat, retreat! They are coming from all directions... There are too many of them... No, fall back! Fall back! What... We cannot hold them for much lo..."

A loud crack indicated the end of the transmission. As the door opened, the two men rushed out, seeing the base in chaos, alarms blazing, and colonists running in panic in all directions. Shortly afterwards they heard the rhythmic marching of the steps – the steps of the soulless mutants. A marine tried to run from that corridor, but fell under a deadly spray of bullets. The Major and Kyle retreated towards the office sector of the base. Several powerful explosions made the ground beneath them tremble. Shooting, rhythmic steps, and screams came from all directions. They could only run, past computer terminals, between pipes, under flickering lights... among the chaos, which seemed to dominate their reality.

"Quick! Let us move towards the processing facilities, perhaps there we can lose them." The Major still could not believe that he was forced into retreat on his own turf.

As they passed by the infirmary, they noticed Shade Boaventura who was still inside. The door was locked, and the Major stopped for a second to shut the protective screens on the windows so that the mutants would not find him in there. They ran on, past the human resources management, in the direction of the Fuel Processing installation.

They took the left turn at the next fork, and were greeted by the sight of two marines, who had just fallen to the floor before the advancing group of mutants. The two men quickly ran back, ducking under the flying bullets. The other way was their only open route of salvation as it seemed the Stalker had placed his creations throughout the entire base beforehand.

"Major, what do we do now? This is the only route and it leads straight into the demonic crypt dig site. There we will be cornered!" Kyle yelled over the din of the battle.

"That is our only choice!" the Major yelled back, "We must take our chances and retreat into the demonic crypt, Harlan. If we cannot do that... we will give the bastards one Hell of a fight before we go down."

A quick handshake was the only confirmation from Kyle.

Several more bullets flew above their heads as they rushed into the monorail. The car started its journey and the marines had a few moments to rest. Through the windows, they could see that several buildings within the colony were on fire, and within them, there were still isolated firefights. They had to realize they were defeated – quickly and surprisingly, by an enemy no one had ever expected.

Their sour thoughts were interrupted by the noise of something heavy falling on the monorail car, several seconds before a hole was blown in the roof and a mutant dropped in, right next to Kyle. The Major reacted fast and raised his shotgun. With a roar of accumulated anger, he blew a hole in the creature's chest, and it fell out of the car, leaving a trail of foul purple blood.

As they jumped out of the car, it was clear the road ahead was safe, yet they could hear the rhythmic marching from the right. Just then, the loud speakers crackled and a rather unpleasant voice was heard:

"This is Doctor Simon Stalker speaking. Throw your weapons and surrender – your lives will be spared. I repeat – surrender and you will not be hurt. This does not apply to you, Major Nicholas Boyd, and Corporal Kyle Harlan! The moment my children catch up with you, your lives will be forfeit! Make it easy on yourselves and give up! It will hurt less..."

"We do not have time; the crypt is our only chance!" The Major was definitely unwilling to meet any more of the mutants.

The dig site was right there, and they entered the cavern as several bullets ricocheted above their heads. Just a few meters more... and there was the entrance to the crypt.

Once inside the corridor of black marble, they turned back... only to see the heavy entrance gate close behind their backs. They were trapped.

* * *

***** The **Mutant** is a deadly enemy from the classic old Wolfenstein games. They first appeared in Episode 2 ("Operation Eisenfaust") of _Wolfenstein 3D_, and then were also featured in the upper levels of _Spear of Destiny_. They were created by the evil Dr. Schabbs through a mysterious serum. You can check the Wolfenstein Wiki for more information about them.


	13. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER XII: THE FINAL VISION**

* * *

_Your appearance in the Universe was expected and the result of many events from a very distant past._

Kyle was still trying to calm his breathing. Major Boyd was silent, yet his face revealed he was very angry. The crypt was unusually quiet. The Major's scanner did not pick any activity from the direction of its depths, while it read numerous chaotic signals from behind, where the base and the mutants were. A quick inspection showed that the two men had two shotguns, two pistols, a half-empty plasma gun, a berserk pack, and an ammo backpack to help them survive the perils if the subterranean labyrinth. Fortunately, they were not injured and in good condition. They hoped they would find a way to call for help, or find something within the labyrinth that would help them against Dr. Stalker and his army. It would not help if they stood there waiting. Dangerous or not – they had to advance in the depths.

The Major put on the backpack and waved – they had to go. As the corridor ended, they found themselves once again in the hall with the statues. There Kyle stopped – something had changed since the last time. He looked at all ghastly monuments that filled the hall – they were the same, and then there was that ring of thirteen Gatekeepers, which was...

One of the Gatekeeper statues was missing. Apparently, it was carefully removed from its place, and taken away, deeper into the crypt. Probably it was nothing special, yet Harlan was somewhat worried. He gave the Major a sign to be careful. The amphitheater hall was empty – all Hell Knight corpses were gone, the floor was cleaned, and the tunnel from which, as it was now clear, mutants came, was sealed. One threat less, one mystery more – for a thousandth time Kyle asked himself why it was him that was involved in all this madness. For one brief moment, he wished he had died on Phobos, when it all started.

"Forget those foolish thoughts - it is not your destiny to be defeated, human! Like it or not, you are taking part in events that will change the destiny of us all." – The familiar voice echoed in Kyle's head and made him jump in surprise.

The Major looked at him with an expression of bewilderment. Harlan could not answer – once again, he felt his body heavy, dark whispers came from all corners, the infernal music of a demonic organ deafened him. With the last vestiges of his strength, he could only whisper: "Do not worry... sir... it will pass after a few minutes. Just wait... stand guard here... do not leave me... it is... fine... no more... I cannot..."

As everything blurred, the voice of the Gatekeeper emerged once again:

"Do not be surprised. We were enemies once, but now find ourselves in the same predicament. A great threat hangs over humanity and what is left of my own race. This is the last revelation for you. You have come closer to the truth – you are closer to seeing that, which I want, that you will soon want, and He used to want; something that _they_ want, _we_ never dared to want, and _you_ were forbidden to want. Watch carefully and listen! Time is running out!"

The scene changed. Kyle was no longer in the crypt, instead he found himself on a balcony, which overlooked a beautiful city, built in a style he could not recognize. Two other men stood beside him. They both wore white robes; their skin was covered in weird tattoos of runes and images of unearthly creatures. One of them held a scepter, the other held a tome. They looked at the city, ancient looking, yet teeming with life. Night was falling – lights appeared and the city changed its visage. The noise did not cease, it intensified as the population ended the long day of labor. It was then a hissing noise was heard, and an ethereal apparition joined the two men. It did not have a specific form – it clearly had a horned head and two long arms. It stood right next to the men, and then turned to them with an icy voice:

"You seem worried, worthy Disciples. You are probably contemplating on something that stirs conflict within your souls?"

"Yes, you have felt it right, Lord Baphomet. I thought about the future, about where humanity would one day find itself."

"The future." Baphomet replied, as if to himself.

"Today I went among them in disguise – among the people in the city." The second man spoke, "They hate us. They have no trust in us. To them, we are oppressors, not Disciples of wisdom; the Gods are vile entities, not sources of guidance and eternal light."

"Oppressors? Is this not exactly what you were meant to be, Disciple?" Baphomet responded with hardly concealed irony.

"Why did it have to be like this? Is it not your fault, o Deity?" the first Disciple asked.

"You are a young and blind race. Do you think you can understand our motives? Do you know what is at stake?" Baphomet's voice grew colder.

The Disciple did not reply. He stared at the city below, and listened to the crowds. Then he looked at the dark apparition that shared their company.

"We will inherit the Universe, Lord Baphomet. You know it as much as I do. You may possess all power of Existence, yet you are doomed and nothing can prevent that."

The apparition came a step closer to the man.

"You are wise. Perhaps too wise for a human – the reason why we never allowed you to become the Leader of the Council of Disciples. Seen the future you have?"

"Yes, Lord Baphomet. And I have also seen that it will be my destiny to be your servant and as such push the events that would lead to the great change."

The apparition only nodded to show that the human's words were correct... and everything blurred. Dark whispers arose and the scene changed.

Kyle recognized the Temple of Darkness immediately. The cowering human followers around it were very agitated about something. A special ceremony was taking place. Under the maddening sound of unknown instruments, Hell Knights walked out of the temple's depths and assumed positions along the stairs. As the music intensified, a tall dark figure in a black robe appeared at the top of the edifice. The Gatekeeper stood there, watching the crowd with his burning eyes. Then he spoke, and the familiar voice thundered:

"Behold faithful followers of Baphomet's word – we have finally found them – the long sought after Essences of Life are now in our possession! Behold, and praise the name of Baphomet and the eternal Burning Pit!"

As the crowd screamed in ecstasy, an Arch Vile emerged from the temple, carrying four cylindrical objects that Kyle could not see well. The objects were raised in the air, and the crowd cheered frantically. The Gatekeeper grinned. Kyle somehow felt that his mission on Earth was finished, and he would leave the Temple, and slaughter all those hapless humans who were enticed into worshipping him and demons. Then the scene changed once again in a bright flash.

Kyle found himself in Baphomet's throne room – the same place where he fought the Lord of Hell in his citadel, the Icon of Sin itself. There was a revenant – bigger than most of its brethren, glowing brightly blue, seemingly made of ice and sapphire. The marine could feel the cold aura the creature emanated, and recognized in it the Ice Weasel – the revenant that was once among the Disciples. Kyle had the vague feeling the creature was the same man he saw on that balcony, talking with Baphomet's apparition. The revenant was kneeling before the Demon Lord, and the four cylindrical objects were in front of it. Its cold voice broke the silence.

"As you ordered, my Lord – the four Essences of Life have been brought to you, just as was promised. Your Gatekeeper did a superb job."

An ethereal hand emerged from the floor and gently touched the cylinders.

"Indeed." Baphomet's voice rumbled, "What we sought is in our possession. They will be secured where it was determined for them to be kept... until the time comes. And about the three Essences of Death..."

"Master, they are still locked in the cursed place where the last Council of the Dark Magi hid them. They used the power of the Rune of Black Magic, and sacrificed their own lives to build a spell, which would shield the artifacts from any demon or undead. And for the humans – they left gruesome traps for them to be killed by." The Ice Weasel growled.

"I have already seen the future, oh weasel of ice and malice! Know that a human would arise, one who will, in single combat, defeat my corporeal form that you see before you, and bring the destruction of Hell. Know that this man shall come to you, and he alone will be able to penetrate the cursed place and retrieve the Essences of Death. You will know when you have met that man."

"Master, how can I make him do as I demand him to?" the Revenant asked.

"Use your cunning, scheming one! Use your innate talent to see, and force him to endeavor on that mission. Once he is done, you will take the Essences to the chosen place, unite them, and fulfill the prophecy!" Baphomet's voice sounded like a thunderstorm of angry souls.

The scene blurred and changed once again. Dark tunnels, dripping water, and a skull made of sapphire. Within it, Kyle could sense a powerful spirit, which slept, embraced in eternal cold, waiting for the day to come...

"You are very close to the truth, human. Know that a horrendous task lies before you. And know that you will encounter an old enemy along your path..."

Major Boyd noticed that the Corporal was opening his eyes and knelt next to him. Understanding as he was, the officer did not ask the marine questions – there would be time later when they would discuss it. At that moment, they had to take care of their survival. Their only hope was to find something that would help them defeat the evil that Stalker had awakened and prevent yet another catastrophe from falling upon humanity.

Kyle stood up and made a sign to the Major, to show him everything was fine, and that they would indeed talk about it later. The two men took their equipment and headed towards the entrance on the opposite wall. There were no more hesitations – they were to explore the depths of the crypt.

* * *

At that same moment, Dr. Stalker observed the scared technicians, who worked under the burning gazes of a group of mutants. Their shaking hands dropped tools and crates, yet they were advancing well. They better would... otherwise, the mutants would terminate them. They were forced to work in the former dimensional research center for the last few hours...

"Hurry, you incompetent maggots!" Stalker shouted, "Work faster and assemble the teleportation array components. Make sure you have made all safety tests! Check twice before configuring the transference modules. And hurry! Hurry! In less than twenty hours we shall open the gateway to Stroggos."


	14. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER XIII: CRYPT OF ENDLESS SCREAMS**

* * *

_...excavations that revealed a large underground complex of catacombs and forgotten crypts._

Major Boyd looked at the scanner once again – quite unexpectedly all activity within the underground crypts had ceased and it was perfectly quiet. Just half an hour ago, readings indicated movement and energy anomalies in the depths. The unusual calm worried the Major, as he did not know what it could mean. The two men were all alone in the crypts, with limited supplies and no idea about the perils that could await them below.

Kyle, still feeling weary after the escape and the vision he had, tried to calm himself with the thought that something within that crypt would help them deal with the crisis. He was not sure whether he had to be calmed or worried by the invisible presence of the Gatekeeper, which seemed to persist, even though the demon was dead... supposed to be dead at least. He was also not sure about the demon's intentions.

Choosing the larger gate, the two men left the amphitheater hall and headed down the dark corridor. Again, they observed illumination without a visible light force. It was completely quiet, and a strange smell permeated the air, the scent of something burned. The carvings on the walls caught their attention – there were many types of demons depicted, doing many things. Some of them were battling; others were performing evil rituals; still others carried various objects back and forth. Kyle recognized the Unholy Cathedral and the Fortress of Mystery in two of the scenes. The face of Baphomet frequently appeared on those images, always positioned above everything else, watching over his servants and their activities. Looking at the floor, Kyle noticed traces of something heavy that was dragged down the corridor recently. The marine remembered about the missing Gatekeeper statue in the entrance chamber.

The hall went on and on into the darkness, yet a door on the left led into a room lit by torches and chandeliers by the walls. The Major looked at the room and then at Kyle. He just nodded in confirmation. They would explore the room, find what they can and carry on.

It appeared to be a library. Numerous wooden shelves were filled with dust-covered, apparently old, and roughly made tomes. Major Boyd opened one of them but could not understand anything from the glyphs or the strange schemes drawn in them. There were hundreds of such books, and the two men were sure they were all filled with dark knowledge. If they did not have to be quiet, the Major would have gladly burned each single one of them. An aura of darkness and restlessness hung in the air – emanated by the dark tomes and the runic carvings on the walls. At the bottom of the hall stood a wooden table where several scrolls of parchment lay. Kyle decided to take a look at them... but then the Major raised his hand.

They were not alone in the room.

The memories of the past months were rekindled in Harlan's mind and his reflexes took over. He raised the shotgun and looked around in expectation. Seconds later a loud hissing filled the chamber, followed by vile snickering laughter. Something moved behind the shelves and the two marines fired their shotguns simultaneously. The hissing sounded more angrily than before and the creature swiftly moved closer to the humans – as quietly as if it did not touch the floor. What Kyle saw next was an enormous crimson one-eyed head emerging from behind the shelves. Its twisted smile could not be mistaken.

A cacodemon.

"Watch out, Major! Don't let it spit on you!"

It did not spit. Instead, the demon charged forward towards the marines, eager to tear them apart with its enormous teeth. Knowing they would not have enough time to take it down with shotguns, Major Boyd pulled out the plasma rifle and fired a burst into the demon's disfigured face. The hissing was replaced by a blood-chilling shriek of pain and anger, as the creature did not stop its attack. A moment later, Kyle emptied his shotgun right into the demon's eye, putting an end to the fight.

"Good work, marine," the Major commented, as the cacodemon's carcass was finally quiet and lying on the floor, spewing several colors of blood.

With the threat gone, Corporal Harlan turned his attention towards the table with the scrolls. Each of them was in a different color – red, yellow, green, blue, and black. The mystic runic writing on them seemed to constantly sparkle, and change its color, as if it were alive. Each of them had a seal of sophisticated figures, and the marines could only guess what their purpose could be. Seeing nothing else of interest in the library, they left, and went on down the underground corridor.

They came by several other doors that led into dank rooms, filled with dust-covered metal boxes or coffins. Some of those chambers were well lit; others were dark and appeared to have been deserted for a long time. Some of the chambers were completely empty; others were filled with scattered pieces of broken items, as if an unknown force had raged within them. A room that caught the marines' attention was a vast circular chamber, which appeared to be an extension of the corridor itself. Enormous stone blocks covered with mystic runes hung on stout chains from the ceiling. Ghostly fog shrouded the floor, and frequently discharges of energies flashed between adjacent blocks like miniature lightning bolts. Major Boyd thought that the room had the purpose of collecting and channeling energy of some kind. That could explain some of the anomalies that UAC scientists had discovered about Io. The stone blocks were most probably imbued with a spell of some sort, and their arrangement implied that the gathered energy was being transferred towards the other end of the corridor they walked.

A little further down the corridor, the marines came across another door, which led into what seemed to be an alchemical laboratory. Once inside, they looked at the tables and the shelves, covered with a large variety of items. The tools they saw were definitely not designed for human hands. The containers held substances they could not recognize. The ingredients that demons used for their concoctions were what truly disgusted the two men. Various human body pieces, greasy slime in various colors, dust that looked like ground bones, and a cacodemon's eye were among the items that were put in jars and arranged on one of the shelves. There were several blue flasks filled with clean water-like liquid, which Kyle recognized as the healing potions that he had encountered during his previous battles with the forces of Hell, and took them in his backpack.

A bit further, the two marines had to stop once again – the chamber that they saw on one side was quite interesting to be passed.

It appeared to be an armory and a treasury. There were piles of strangely shaped blades and spears arranged by the left wall, as well as many other weapons. Neither Kyle nor the Major had ever seen a demon use one of those, but they were probably the remnants of a distant past. Close to the weapons lay other tools of destruction – small incendiary orbs, flasks filled with acid, and other containers that seemed to be filled with poison. At the bottom of the room, Kyle saw three black containers, and a clear spot on the floor, which indicated that the fourth one had been taken away recently – and probably used at the site where the marines were slaughtered in the ambush. Who used the artifact and for what reason still remained a mystery.

The other side of the room was filled with what seemed to be loot and treasure. Yet the hoarded wealth was such as Corporal Harlan and Major Boyd had never seen in their lives. There were huge and heavy plates of precious metal, but it was neither gold not silver. The metal was light green in color, and glowed faintly. The Major's scanner indicated that the metal emitted radio waves at a constant frequency and had a faint electro-magnetic field around it. Next to it, were boxes filled with bars of another metal – colorless, yet the light reflected from its surface in hundreds of colors and nuances, creating an effect similar to the light refraction of diamonds. Other crates were filled with hundreds of small yellow crystals, which the scanner labeled as "unidentified stable mineral substance." There were also scrolls, tomes, flasks with various substances, and many other objects the two men could never recognize – all hoarded as loot from unknown wars of unknown ages.

"Just look at that, Harlan," the Major uttered, "They are our worst enemies, yet demons seems to have a culture of their own, just like we do. Would it be interesting to study them, I wonder."

"I am not sure, sir. Such research would always be dubious in terms of safety and ethics. I am sure there is much we can learn, but I fear the price we would have to pay in order to reveal those secrets." The Marine answered.

"What do you mean, Corporal?"

"I mean... well, suffice it to say that most probably it would be the UAC to perform that research."

"I see your point, Harlan. The UAC would inevitably try to bend it in a way that would earn them profit. They always do that. Tied to the military as they are, the UAC would see those demons as a product to be developed. A biological weapon even."

"Exactly, sir. The desire for gain has never brought humanity anything but suffering."

"You see, Harlan, if the UAC had never started these experiments of theirs, probably all the recent catastrophes could have been avoided..."

Kyle did not reply. The Major was partially right. Having heard the Gatekeeper's tale, the marine knew that not performing the dimensional gateway research would have only delayed the invasion, but not prevented it. For a second, he thought about what it could have been if the invasion happened fifty years later, when he would not have been able to intervene. Would humanity have perished? Then, again, he remembered about the course of destiny that would have never allowed that. The marine had the feeling that many more dark events wait for him in the future. And all he wanted was some rest... for a few minutes, after defeating the Gatekeeper, he thought he would finally have it...

They had to carry on, time was one of the things they did not have in abundance. With any luck, this expedition would help them assume control over the situation. The two men were also aware that Dr. Stalker held hostages in the base. Whatever they did, they had to be quick and discrete. And it seemed that the corridor would finally end. Apart from that cacodemon in the library, they did not encounter anything else, and the eerie silence seemed to reign in the crypt.

The previous silence was now broken by a low humming, which intensified into a howling as they descended deeper into the crypts. The corridor ended at a bridge that spanned over a chasm – an enormous cavern, with a bottom of molten lava, as the reddish glow from below suggested. The huge underground chamber was filled with smoke, and various pieces of crystals, which flew and floated in all directions in the air, as if by their own will. The bridge was encased in a force field, which appeared as a faint glow, as were several other bridges, at lower levels, all of them attached to a central column that rose from the bottom of the cavern. The howling from below was very strong, but it could not scare the marines, who knew they had gone too far to turn back. They crossed the bridge and entered the hollow recess of the central column. Inside they saw a metallic platform that looked like an elevator, two other entrances with bridges, which led to other areas of their current floor, and a green plaque on the wall, which bore a symbol that looked exactly like the seal of the green scroll they found in the library.

"Do you see that, Major? Maybe the floors are color-coded, and the scrolls we picked up are some kind of access keys for them." Kyle suggested.

"Probably, Harlan. But in that case, it is a bit worrying that we were allowed to take away these access keys so easily."

"I know, sir. I have the strange suspicion that someone... or something knows that we are here, and is trying to manipulate us."

"We have no choice, Corporal, we can't go back. We would either have to explore more of this floor, or go deeper... to a lower one."

Kyle started thinking again. Whatever the key to the mystery of the crypts was, it had to be somewhere in the lower levels. Besides, he did not want to risk running into more demons on this floor, and he had to keep in mind that he had to look for clues about the last major demonic outpost in his Universe.

"We are going down, sir. I am convinced that together we would be able to cripple the demonic force that inhabits this place, eliminate this threat, and probably find something to help us against Stalker and his abominations."

"Lead the way, Corporal Harlan. You have survived such situations before, I am sure you can do it once again." The Major smiled.

Kyle stepped back and looked at the bridge once again. As he expected, there were green markings on it. Looking through the force field, he noticed that the lower floor was marked with blue. He had decided to check the floors one by one, and the Major agreed that it would be prudent. The marine looked at the green insignia on the wall once again, and touched it with the seal of the blue scroll. A rumbling sound was heard, and the platform slowly moved one level lower.

The two men crossed the only bridge for that floor and prepared to enter the crypt ahead. Cold wind blew in their faces, and the Major noticed that the pale bluish walls were covered with ice. What could await them in this frozen catacomb?


	15. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER XIV: CRYPT OF FROZEN HORRORS**

* * *

_They mentioned something about dealing with the undead and excavations in ancient crypts._

The arch they passed under was marked with runes and the image of walking skeletons, some of them carrying loot, others holding weapons. A thin crust of ice covered the walls in the crypt – chilling wind erupted from its depths, sounding like the howling of a thousand unholy voices. They were all alone, and yet the marines could not shake the feeling that someone was watching them.

"What do you think, Harlan? This place is creepy... and damn cold!" the Major whispered.

"I do not know, sir. Let's just have a quick look and get out."

Soon afterwards, they reached a place where the corridor split in two directions. In the center between the two paths, a stone carving on the wall depicted several horribly disfigured creatures, trapped in ice blocks. Behind them rose three mountain peaks, each of them marked with a rune. And above those peaks, Kyle recognized Baphomet's face, looking down at the scene below. Other sections of the walls were also covered with runes at places, and icicles hanging ominously from the stone ceiling. The two paths seemed exactly the same and the choice was not easy.

"Ok, let's take the left corridor. Probably both end up in the same place," the Major murmured.

He was right – they arrived in a spacious circular underground chamber, and they saw the entrance of the other corridor. But it was what they saw in the room ahead that made them stop and take a moment to watch it. The room's floor was covered with soil such as neither of them had ever seen on Earth. Plants, minerals, and even the stones – they had apparently not originated from Io or the Earth. Kyle was pretty sure he had not seen such things even in Hell. It seemed very improbable, but he assumed that those things might have been taken from the ancient Elder Worlds. Most of the hall was filled with ice blocks. Closer examination of them revealed that there were things locked within them. Kyle could not see them clearly enough, but the things looked like strangely shaped creatures, like the ones he had seen on the carving. There were many such blocks in the room, and in the center there was something different.

The two men stepped closer to what seemed to be a stone model of a city. A circular area with a radius of two meters was filled with carved buildings, towers, and a protective wall around it. In the city's central part was a fortified area of palaces, temples, and buildings with unknown purposes. Kyle realized that he was probably looking at one of the great cities, or even the capital of the Elder world. The Major was completely puzzled about the meaning of the stone model.

"What the Hell is that thing, Harlan? Atlantis?" the Major asked bewildered.

"I do not know, sir. Everything in this place is beyond my comprehension. The more we see, the greater the mystery becomes."

"I don't like what is going on in here. These demons are preparing something really nasty for us. And it is so quiet and deserted in here. Where are all those beasts? Just an hour ago, there was much activity down here. And now... nothing. As if they have opened some kind of portal and left the place."

For a moment, Kyle thought about that. The demons might have left for the colony that he sought. And a functional portal could be very close – the key to the success of his mission. But he could not leave Io before solving the problem with Dr. Stalker. He was also concerned about whatever creature controlled the crypts. The story of the hideous Ice Revenant was still alive in his mind. That made the ice and the cold all around him even more disturbing.

The Corporal looked at the ceiling above the model – in the "sky" there were four other planets drawn, three bigger and one smaller. That confirmed Kyle's assumption about what the model described. What he still tried to figure out was the purpose of this collection. What could make them collect all these things and arrange them here as an exposition, unless...

Loud and gruesome laughter echoed through the empty halls and made both men jump with surprise. As it faded away, the marines had the feeling that the air had become colder.

"Harlan, we are not alone in here. Be careful," Major Boyd whispered.

Kyle could not reply as a new sound came from the direction of the entrance tunnel. Hissing, howling, and clearly distinctive steps were heard. Something was coming towards them, as the steps became louder and clearer. The laughter sounded once again, and the marines assumed defensive positions. Major Boyd prepared to unleash what was left of the plasma gun's charges, and Kyle prepared his shotgun.

Silence settled for a few seconds, leaving the two men in uneasy expectation. Then, with what sounded like a small explosion, bright blue light illuminated the entrance corridors and a wave of sparkling energy came out. A puddle of water on the floor was touched by the energy wave and instantly frozen solid; the Major realized that the same would happen to them if they don't run away at once.

"Run! Run, damn it!"

The opposite end of the chamber had one exit and the two men rushed for it, followed by the freezing wave. The corridor was long and winding, and they felt they would not be able to outrun the threat. Just as it was about the catch them, the energy wave slowed down and dissipated, leaving bluish smoke behind it.

"Don't stop, sir," Kyle uttered, "Whatever's chasing us, it won't stop. Let's take cover at least for now."

The Major could not disagree. They had to lure the creature to a place where it would no longer be able to use its devastating frost attack. The corridor ended in a hall filled with stone columns. They could offer some protection. The marines assumed positions close to the exit. The Major prepared the plasma gun once again, determined to fry to delicate brown anything that would come out of the tunnel. Kyle prepared to shoot right in the head of the intruder, hoping to take it down with one shot if possible.

Steps were heard again. They came closer to the entrance and stopped. A second after that, another frost wave erupted, filling the room from wall to wall, freezing the columns, which, apparently, did not offer any protection. Kyle and Major Boyd were running again. The wave dissipated mere moments before it could catch them. This really annoyed the Major.

"It is playing with us. It is trying to push us deeper into this crypt, which, without any doubt, is a trap." The Major panted.

"I agree. There are several doors up ahead. Let's check them, at least one of them should offer a good position for retaliation." Kyle replied while catching his breath.

No steps could be heard from behind, but they quickened the pace. A door on the right side of the corridor led into another, shorter corridor with more doors on the sides.

"Wait. Just a quick look," the Major said and entered the side chamber.

No sooner had he entered the small corridor than the door suddenly closed and separated the two men.

"Damn! Not again! Harlan! Harlan, can you hear me!" the Major yelled.

Kyle rushed to the closed door and hit it with full strength, yet it was solid stone and did not move. Just then, a second door blocked the passage further into the crypt, leaving the way back to the room with the city model as the only open path. But the unknown intruder was somewhere in this direction...

The Major looked at the doors in the smaller corridor. One of them had to lead him back to the Corporal, and another could offer a safer path back to the elevator column in the huge cave. Before he could make a step towards the doors, another frost wave, this time erupting from the floor, went through the room. The officer's legs were trapped in an ice block and he could not move.

"Ah, damn it. What is going on in here? Where is the plasma gun..."

The weapon was lying very close to him, and the shotgun was too far to reach. If he could only get that plasma rifle... one careful shot would melt that ice block in a second. But Major Boyd did not make the move to take his gun because he heard something behind one of the doors in the corridor. Steps. The same steps as before. Whatever the creature that froze him was, it now came closer and they would soon meet. The door slowly started to open.

"Take the plasma gun... just take it, aim, and fry some demon butt. Why can't I move..."

The Major froze, but not because of the ice or the cold year but because of what he saw. An enormous glowing skeleton entered the room – a creature that looked very much like the hideous revenants. This one was different – it seemed to be made of ice and blue crystals, and it emanated an aura of cold, which immediately made the temperature in the room drop. The Ice Revenant stepped towards the trapped human and examined him carefully. It made a strange gesture with its skeletal fingers, and the ice melted, yet the Major still could not move, as if an invisible force restrained him. The creature came one more step closer and spoke with a hoarse cold voice:

"Greetings to you, Major Nicholas Boyd. I have been expecting you. For a long time I have watched you, and now I have the honor to meet you in person. Do not be afraid, I will not hurt you. Your friend, Corporal Kyle Harlan would have to go through some challenges, deadly battles, and hard ordeals, but worry not – if he is the one I am looking for, he should be able to survive long enough to come to me. Now let's go..."

The revenant raised its arms and formed an orb of greenish energy. Within a second, it and the Major were teleported to another room, all covered with black marble. The human could now move, but he was closed behind crystal bars.

"Do not try to escape, it is futile. Now relax and watch your friend, wish him luck if it will make you feel better. When he reaches us, we will continue with the next phase of the plan."

The Ice Revenant looked at a statue that stood in the middle of a ritual circle. The Major recognized it as the missing Gatekeeper statue from the entrance chamber of the crypts, the one that had been dragged into the depths. He had the unpleasant feeling that the stone figure was somehow alive and watched his every move with its burning eyes.

"Know that mortals know me as the Ice Weasel. Know that I was a human once, not very different from you, but now I am taking part in events that have been planned long before you came to exist. Now let us see what our Chosen One is doing up there..."

The revenant created an orb of energy, and inside it, as if on a monitor, the Major saw Corpora Harlan who was still trying to open the door...

* * *

Kyle gave up – the door would not budge, no matter how hard he tried. Could he risk going back towards the main cavern? He still had the scrolls... Besides, the way further into the frozen crypt was blocked by another door.

He heard a voice from the direction of the room with the ice blocks... and it sounded like Major Boyd. The Corporal abandoned his worries and headed back. He reached the hall without encountering the creature that used frost waves against them. He heard the voice again, this time it was somewhere in the main cavern. Was he calling for help?

Kyle rushed back on the bridge, and looked around. He noticed something lying on the next lower bridge – a plasma gun, the same one the Major used. That bridge bore red markings and led into a crypt lit by chandeliers, beyond an arch of red marble, which was carved with images of horned demons and ominous robed figures. Anyway, Harlan intended to examine the floors one by one. With luck, the Major could be there, still alive.

The seal of the red scroll was touched to the symbol in the elevator and it moved one level down. The marine grabbed the plasma gun and entered the crypt, ready for anything. Just as before, he felt he had enough, and he intended to deal some harsh punishment to his enemies.


	16. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER XV: CRYPT OF BOILING BLOOD**

* * *

_I looked upon the shining falls of lava and blood, the smoldering plains where the damned roamed..._

The Gate was assembled but it had to be carefully adjusted and attuned. Dr. Stalker knew that the artifact he needed to pass through the portal could easily disrupt it. He had to perform a few tests to be sure. The best possible way to observe the Gate's stability would be to request that something or someone be sent from the other side.

After a short consultation with someone via a small strange-looking communication device, Stalker turned to the scientists who still worked under the burning gaze of his creations.

"Forget these photon emitter couplings. Concentrate on fine-tuning the energy beam impactor and getting the fusion core online! We will make a quick test in about an hour."

* * *

Kyle recognized the smell - blood. The floor was covered with thousands of tiny canals, which were filled with running blood, just like veins in living body. The walls were shining red marble, at places ornamented with dark stone slabs covered with runic markings or images of horrifying scenes. Just as in the other crypt, two corridors led to a greater hall, where Kyle saw the source of the place's vile stench. The hall was lit by torches, which had flames as red as blood. In the center, hanging over a pit filled with eternal fire, was a golden cauldron, in which blood boiled, spreading greenish vapors in the air. Within these fumes, the marine could see ghostly faces, floating and swirling, their mouths locked in eternal screams. Ethereal voices, hardly noticeable, filled the chamber with their dark whispers. Ahead was an iron gate that Kyle could not move, despite his constant pushing. It was locked, and it had no visible keyholes, except for a slot, where a circular object could fit... yet there was no such item in the room. Two smaller exits on both sides had stairs that led to a room on a lower level and that was the apparent choice for the direction to take.

The dark stairwell led into an octagonal chamber, which was filled with many books. They were not arranged like in the library, but just piled along the walls, covered with the dust of centuries. The room expanded into a rectangular chamber, where something that looked like a wooden desk stood. Kyle approached it with caution and looked at it. Just then, he heard a noise... something moved behind one of the big piles of books. Breathing could be heard distinctively. The marine raised the plasma gun – whatever it was, it was in for serious trouble. With a sudden movement, a creature blasted out of the book pile and fixated the marine with its glowing yellow eyes. Its shape and pink skin were recognizable – a demon, known among the space marines as a "pinky." Without delay, it rushed towards Kyle, its mouth open and ready to tear flesh. A burst from the plasma gun melted its head and pushed the dead body towards the other end of the room. The demon was efficiently terminated, however, a red indicator told Kyle that the plasma gun was empty and unusable, at least until he could find cells and reload it.

On the desk lay a book, looking just like the many others in the piles. It was open and filled with writings – just one or a few words per line, looking like a list of something. Next to it stood a piece of bone and a small container filled with blood. They stood there as if expecting the marine to write something in the book. A familiar whisper then appeared in Harlan's head:

"Do not hesitate, human. If you wish to be allowed to enter the crypt of boiling blood, you must sign your name in this book."

"You!" Kyle exclaimed, "Hold for a second. What is going on in this place? Where is Major Boyd?"

No answer came. The voice of the Gatekeeper did not appear again, and the marine had no choice but to do as the demon demanded. He took the piece of bone carefully, dipped it in the blood, and wrote "K. L. Harlan" under the other names written in unknown runes. For a brief moment, sparkles of energy ran across the book's surface, and then something materialized on it. A medallion, a golden circle with a pentagram inscribed in its middle. On the upper end of the artifact, the words "K. L. Harlan" were carved, exactly as he had written them in the tome. Kyle also noticed that the object was exactly the size of the circular slot on the door above. A personalized key.

For a second, the marine thought it was strange that the book accepted him, despite his human nature. An answer to that mystery could either be that the book's spell was designed to accept humans, or that the Gatekeeper's invisible presence had somehow influenced the spell that created the medallion. It was now clear what all those piles of books were... records of all the key holders that have ever existed.

"Not all of them received a key," the voice of the Gatekeeper emerged once again, "the book only gives a key to those who are deemed worthy to enter the crypt. The spell was created long ago, in the realm of Black Magic... and I did not influence it in any way. It gave you access because it decided you deserve it. Now grab your key and enter the crypt if you wish to save your friend. Ask me no questions, and speak no word while you are inside. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire..."

The voice faded away, and Kyle decided to follow the demon's advice – there were probably traps on the other side of that gate.

The medallion fit perfectly into the slot, and the door opened silently, revealing an enormous cavern. A network of rock platforms floated in the air without any visible support, and below them swirled a lake of hot lava. In the air, there were also other objects that flew around, following invisible courses – bookcases, chests, statues, and several other objects that Kyle could not recognize. From the ceiling hung a glowing sphere, which lit the cavern and seemed to be charged with mystic energy.

"One noise... and the power of the orb will strike you dead instantly."

The warning from the familiar voice was very quiet, as if in confirmation – the entire room was a huge trap. The marine went forward, one step after the other, as quiet as possible. The soft sand that covered the floor made it easier to walk in complete silence, observing the wonders of the cavern. Many of the levitating chests contained gems, pieces of weapons and armor, tomes, scrolls, as well as flasks filled with various substances – all kinds of artifacts that seemed to be valuable for the demons. Looking down, Kyle noticed numerous ball-like objects floating in the lava below. Megaspheres! At least a hundred of them, well protected in a lake where no one would ever dare to take a swim. For a second, the marine thought that he could obtain them if he had one of those experimental UAC prototype devices – "grabbers." Those were still in early experimental phase, and quite unstable, as explosions were quite frequent. Besides, it would make noise when used...

One of the chests flew close to Kyle and he was able to see crystal containers within it. Inside them, sparks of light danced and pulsated, as if living spirits were imprisoned within the crystals. The marine stopped for a second... could those be the "soul library" holders, just as the Gatekeeper had described them. If that was the case, he preferred to stay away from them. About ten meters more, and he would reach another gate, made of black stone, which led further into the crypt.

With the second gate closed tight behind his back, Corporal Harlan felt safer... at least for the few moments before he examined his surroundings. A small piece of a soul library made him feel bad, but now he had a whole system of halls and corridors, lined by shelves, all covered with the diabolical containers. The rooms had walls of grey and white stone, lit by torches, attached to the walls in golden holders. Many of the metallic shelves were ornamented with runes and symbols the marine could not recognize. What he could recognize was the door that led out of the place... away from these ghastly artifacts. The opened door led him into a cavern, lit by numerous black candles. Inside it were two marble altars – a red one and a black one. On the black one rested a fine cut human skull, made of flawless ruby. The red one had a circular slot in its surface, as if something was missing. The skull looked familiar...

Behind the altars was an opening in the rocky wall, which was shaped like a reverted cross. Behind it ran a red waterfall that looked very much like blood.

"Forget your ridiculous fears, and return to the soul library. Seek out the crystal container of the Keeper of Spirits. You should recognize it easily... Place it on the altar and face a mighty enemy. Defeat that creature... and obtain your reward at all costs."

The voice reminded Kyle of the way he felt manipulated by greater powers, but he had neither the time, nor the freedom to decide, as he had to contain the threat in the colony and rescue Major Boyd. He returned to the library and walked around the corridors, looking for what had to be a Keeper. All containers on all shelves looked the same, just as the sparkling lights within them looked the same. At the end of one shorter corridor, the marine found one container that was put alone on a small table, made of the green metal he had seen earlier in the treasury. That had to be what he was looking for. He stretched his hand slowly and picked up the cylinder. It was very cold, and the light within seemed to glow stronger when he took it. Retracing his steps back to the cavern, Kyle stood by the red altar once again, and, without any further hesitation, put the container in the slot.

A low humming sound, followed by a gentle vibration filled the underground chamber, as the cylinder's light grew stronger than ever before. Cracks appeared on the ruby skull's surface – small at first, but growing bigger, as if something tried to break out. Dark voices rose from the room's corners, and the light of the candles seemed to fade out. A loud crack followed, and the skull exploded, bombarding the marine with precious, yet sharp and dangerous pieces. It was all quiet after the small explosion... yet Kyle felt he was not alone in the cavern.

The marine turned around quickly to face a human figure, dressed in a black robe, its face hidden in the shadows of a hood, with only his teeth shining from under it. A pentagram amulet hung on his neck, while numerous rings, covered with arcane symbols, were on the withered grey fingers. The stranger stared at Kyle, as if in expectation for him to say something. Then, he spoke with a voice that chilled the marine, as it was cold and soaked with hatred.

"Greetings to you, my dear intruder. I do not know how you came to the soul library, where the most distinguished among the human followers of Baphomet are kept, but I am convinced that you are not welcome here. It would be my pleasure to slay you, and watch your soul burn for all eternity, in the name of my dark master."

"Your so-called dark master is dead, creep. I would suggest you stay out of my way if you don't want me to blow a few extra holes in your disfigured body." Kyle replied to the challenge.

"Your blasphemous lies have no weight here, mortal. You will regret encountering me." The figure said quietly.

Together with the final words, an orb of bristling energy was shot from the hand of the man, whom Kyle recognized to be the Heresiarch from his first vision. From what he saw then, he could assume this person was a very dangerous enemy. Roll over and a sprint towards the door – Kyle had to take cover and think of a way to defeat his enemy while he was still weak from his hibernation within the skull. The steps he heard indicated that his opponent was following him. When the robed figure appeared from behind the door, the marine shot several times at it, and apparently hit it, though no injuries or damage in any form could be noticed. In response came a lightning bolt, which tore several shelves apart and spilled soul containers all over the floor. He kept moving between the shelves and behind corners, shooting accurately at his adversary, yet the robed figure did not seem to be affected by the pellets that hit it. A barrage of fireballs forced Kyle back into the cave with the altars. A wave of flames pushed him behind the altars, where he remained still, holding firmly the shotgun in his hand. The Heresiarch slowly walked to the center of the chamber and stopped. His vile laughter echoed in the rocky walls, making the marine feel desperate, just like in the cavern with the Hell Knights before. The enemy seemed to be invincible, and Kyle was only wasting precious ammunition on him.

"Are you hiding from me, feeble mortal? Make it easy on yourself and give up. Lie down on my sacrificial altar and embrace your new destiny."

Corporal Harlan had had enough. For the past twenty-four hours, he was close to death at least a dozen times. And there were already too many people and demons who wanted to manipulate him, or convince him to give up. Despite his eagerness to be calm, concentrate, and bearing a positive attitude, at that moment Kyle was genuinely pissed off.

"To Hell with you and your ramblings," the marine yelled and stood up suddenly, catching his opponent unprepared for a brief moment. That was enough for him to empty the shotgun right into the heretic's face. Knocked back by the shot, he fell on the floor, stunned for a few valuable seconds that allowed Kyle to run out of the chamber and head toward the exit. He had a plan.

Spewing curses and threats, the enemy followed him, just as the marine expected. When the heretic saw his victim again, the marine stood somewhere near the middle of the huge cavern with the many levitating objects. Perfect.

He stepped forth slowly, allowing the mortal human to spend a minute more in fear. When the Heresiarch came closer, Kyle went on to the second step of his plan. He put on a facial expression that implied how terrified and shocked he was, his hand started to shake and it dropped the shotgun, which gently fell on his boot, without making a noise. It was here that the risky moment was. The Heresiarch's reaction decided all.

Just as expected, the enemy could not miss the opportunity to mock his victim. His loud laughter echoed in the cavern, a mere moment before the orb that hung from the ceiling started to glow stronger. Then, a beam of unbearably bright light struck the robed figure and an even brighter explosion blinded Kyle...

A powerful tremor shook the whole place, and the marine, as quietly as possible, ducked to the ground and remained in that position until everything calmed and he could see again. Never before in his life had he felt as relieved as he was when he saw the pile of ash, which was all that remained of his former enemy. He stood up triumphantly and went into the soul library, where could finally give out a cry of well-deserved victory. Returning to the altar chamber, a familiar voice appeared again...

"Impressive work, human. I had trust in your abilities, and you did not fail me. Now collect your prize and head towards the lower level – the Crypt of Immortal Hatred."

Kyle noticed that the bloodfall had disappeared and behind was a small niche where a black object rested. A closer look revealed the item to be a book, stained with blood at places. The marine picked it up and put it in his backpack that he had taken from Earth. Still resting on its bottom still was the dead Void Sphere he found in the Temple of Darkness.

There was no time to lose – Kyle had to proceed to the next crypt, and face whatever might await him there. He returned to the central cavern and the yellow scroll's power lowered the platform to a bridge that led to an arch ornamented with images of warriors and slaughter. Beyond it followed a stone corridor lit by torches. The marine could clearly feel a sense of threat coming from within the depths of the crypt. Kyle reloaded the shotgun – it was prepared to deal some more punishment.

* * *

"Yes, yes... the magnetic field is stable here. We can open the Gate for a test within a few minutes."

Dr. Stalker took out his communication device and spoke something in a language no one else understood. A harsh metallic voice replied from the other side in the same language, and Stalker nodded, as if in confirmation. Both sides were ready for a test. The adjustment of the portal had to be immaculate as the artifact that was to be transported could easily disturb the carrier signal.

The nervous scientists set the system to the previously calculated values, and the only thing left to do was to initiate the dimensional breach sequence. Stalker pressed a few buttons and the machines started to operate, executing the steps of the process that would breach time and space and reach another portal that was on a planet very far from the Milky Way. For a moment, Stalker remembered his last visit there... A low humming appeared, intensifying into a high-pitched noise, as the magnetic field expanded within the reflector sphere. Slight vibrations in the electron resonators indicated that the portal was ready – the doctor only had to release the stream that would create the energy channel.

"We shall use the same configuration sequence as the legendary Gatekeepers of Hell... The portal stability should be better," Stalker thought.

A series of cracks followed the pressing of the button. In the next second, a shadowy rupture in reality formed and the portal was open. The other scientists looked at with astonishment – none of them had ever seen a real Gate in operation. A few seconds later two creatures came out of the portal. The humans froze in horror. Metal bodies. Only half of the right arm and the head appeared to be organic. Dr. Stalker knew well that the right arm could open into a machine gun, and the left on was a grenade launcher. Elite gunners – excellent killing machines, bearing the red insignia of Stroggos on their shoulder armor pieces. The doctor pressed another button, the Gate shrunk and went out of existence without any problems. A message from the strange device told him that everything was fine on the other side too. The test was successful, and the team could start working on the nano-injectors, which would make the portal completely stable and safe for the final opening of the Gate after ten hours.


	17. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER XVI: CRYPT OF IMMORTAL HATRED**

* * *

_He was there – looking at me with hatred, and in the same time, with pride about what I had just achieved._

The marine stopped for a moment before the entrance of the crypt. The visions that he had in the previous days started to make sense – the Gatekeeper was trying to warn him about those enemies. That would mean that the demon knew what would happen to him. Or he was masterfully manipulating him, leading him to something that served the demon's concealed intentions. Kyle remembered the other two visions – one of them showed him the Ice Revenant he knew about, and the other was about some kind of barbaric warlord. The marine had the feeling he had already met the Ice Weasel – the mysterious frost attack in the first crypt suggested that it was the creature that captured the Major. Only one question remained – would the Gatekeeper help them with the issue of Dr. Stalker after the revenant is down. Kyle could still not figure out why the Gatekeeper would wish to eliminate these beings. He hoped the answers would come later, just as the tale he heard answered many more mysteries that bothered him.

The small corridor beyond the crypt's entrance led to a circular chamber, where a statue of a dark warrior in ancient armor stood in its center. The colossal man held an enormous sword, covered with various mysterious symbols – one of them seemed familiar, like an ancient swastika of some sort. The helmet was massive and horned, with only two small holes for the eyes. The marine had always considered that pretty funny and pointless, as the armor severely limited the combatant's ability to move with ease and avoid enemy fire. No wonder ancient knights had gone extinct...

The corridor ended in a huge hall, where Kyle saw an enormous wooden table and wooden benches around it – they all appeared as crude as if hand-made by ignorant barbarians. Countless weapons and shields hung from the walls, and right under them were long tables covered by many precious objects – golden chalices, chests filled with sparkling coins, items made with precious stones, and many other... trophies. Trophies in a room made for feasting after battle. Kyle had only heard of those, when the marines exchanged tales about things they had seen in movies, or read in the archives. Fictional novels and ancient stories of legendary battles and the celebrations after victory – glorious feasts among the loot and the spoils of battle. And in this hall, there were many of those items, a grim collection of the symbols of past slaughter and destruction. Kyle had no idea of the purpose of that celebration hall in the demonic crypts. Or probably there was something he missed...

The only object on the long table was a lonely forgotten goblet – empty and covered with dust. On the other narrow side, the marine saw an ornamented chair, instead of a bench – whoever led the warriors that ever feasted in the hall, he sat there. That reminded Harlan of the warlord from the vision – it was prudent to assume that he can be found somewhere within the crypt. Two larger chests near one wall caught the marine's attention. They were solid, with ornamentations of small images of distorted demonic faces. Inside it, Kyle found an impressive collection of crowns – in various shapes and sizes. Undoubtedly stolen from long forgotten ancient rulers. Wondering what happened with those rulers, Kyle opened the second chest where the gruesome answer to that question was kept. It was full of human skulls – probably the ones that wore the crowns while alive. The marine felt sick and backed away after shutting the lids of the chests. In that moment he was perfectly sure he wanted to leave the hall and carry on with his search.

The next room was an armory – following the previous feasting hall, it was filled with old and crude suits of body armor, and melee weapons that Kyle had only seen on pictures – swords, axes, clubs, and hammers. The small flashlight revealed that some of the blades still had brown bloodstains on them. There were also devices that Kyle recognized as siege tools – his memories from the Military Academy courses were still quite strong. There were ladders, hooks tied to stout chains, battering rams... and metal spheres filled with a grey substance that looked like crudely produced and unrefined gunpowder. Primitive explosive devices? The marine started to feel nervous when he tried to imagine the kind of army that would be using those instruments of death and destruction. The barbaric warriors he had seen in movies, which filled most of the wasted time in Mars City One, looked quite dangerous and utterly mindless. From what he had seen, Harlan knew that only the strongest among those savages could be their leader. And odds were he was about to fight with one such person soon...

The next hall was darker – a few lonely torches among the numerous rectangular boxes threw a dim glow and dancing shadows around the chamber. The wooden boxes were locked, yet without looking in them, Kyle had the grim feeling that those were coffins. Inside them could be the people who used the weaponry stashed in the previous room. Hopefully, the chests were all locked tight, and the marine did not notice any concealed black containers in the dark corners of the room. It was strange that so far he only encountered one demon on each of the floors. If there was a demon in this crypt, it could be hiding right there, in the gloomy hall of coffins...

Just as he thought about that, Kyle heard a silent step from behind. Without delay, he turned around and aimed the shotgun at that direction. There was no one else in the room. The Corporal felt silly – the events from the previous days had their effect, and he was starting to hallucinate... But no, he heard a noise again – a few careful steps, as if something tried to stealthily sneak under the protection of darkness. Kyle tried to calm down and think, relying on his previous memories. Who were they that dwelled in dark places and attacked surprisingly? The marine concentrated and looked around the room, looking for clues. Right in front of him was one of the coffins and there was something that was not quite right about it. He stared carefully at it – the upper right angle appeared distorted, as if a crooked lens was positioned in front of it. The thing felt that it was noticed and charged towards the marine who emptied the shotgun in it. The noise that followed indicated that the demon was lying dead on the floor. Kyle touched it carefully with the gun's barrel – there was flesh and it was partially invisible. A specter!

The marine was sure that, for unknown reasons, there was only one, or probably just a few demons on each floor. That was something he could not understand. He had two possible explanations in mind – it was either that the denizens of the crypts had gone somewhere else, or that they were very few in the first place, and their numbers were diminished after the desperate assault of the Hell Knights. The Corporal was starting to think that the system of crypts had a specific purpose, beyond merely serving as a dwelling place and an outpost. The Heresiarch and the souls that were stashed in the "library," as well as the mysterious coffins – they were brought to the crypts for a purpose, as well as the Ice Revenant, who was the one in command in the area. And, finally, the Gatekeeper somehow fit in the entire complicated scheme of events, pursuing goals the human could not comprehend. For the moment, Kyle considered the demon to be on his side, even though he seemed to make attempts to manipulate the human.

Finally, it seemed that the journey through the crypt was over – the corridor ended in a chamber where a statue and an altar were the only objects of interest. The statue of a warrior held a sword on its two stretched arms – it looked as if it was offering Kyle to take the weapon. On the altar rested a finely cut human skull, yellow in color, probably made from topaz. Alone in the room, Kyle could vaguely feel someone else's presence inside.

"Time is running out, human... Accept the challenge... Pick up the weapon."

The Gatekeeper's voice was very low and sounded like it came from very far. Accept the challenge... he had to pick up the crude and terribly misbalanced sword in order to meet his enemy. That was not a problem as he could easily throw the useless piece of iron away and teach the barbarian some modern shotgun manners. Kyle moved to the statue and grabbed the sword with firmly in his arm. Cold wind blew through the chamber, as cracks started to appear on the surface of the skull. Corporal Harlan, feeling more confident after defeating the Heresiarch, smiled and tried to throw away the sword.

It was stuck to his hand! The initial surprise was replaced with annoyance – apparently some kind of demonic curse kept the blunt piece of metal in his grasp. Accepting the fact that he would have to shoot with the left hand, Kyle was utterly shocked to discover that all of his other weapons had disappeared. He had nothing but the damaged blade for the coming battle.

Just as Kyle fully realized what had happened, a tall figure materialized in the room. Long black beard, long black hair. Blue eyes and yellow teeth. Full suit of black body armor and a sword, at least three times bigger than what the marine had. The warlord looked at Harlan, a mocking smile glowing on his face.

"How sweet." The huge man spoke, "Awakened by a pathetic wimp, barely able to hold his own sword! The time has come for me, and my warriors, to finally repay our debt to Lord Baphomet! As for you, whelp..."

"Who the Hell are you, handsome, and what is it that makes you so arrogant?" Kyle murmured, trying not to laugh at the sight of the medieval imitation of a soldier.

"You are so calm as you dare speak like that to Arcaron, son of Olaric, father of Heinrich the First? Killing you will really entertain me."

As the last word faded away, an incredibly powerful swing of the sword followed, so sudden that Kyle hardly managed to duck and avoid the blade, which shattered the statue that used to hold Kyle's blade. With a loud roar of fury, the barbarian charged towards the marine, clearly intending to impale him on his stout steel blade. Kyle could do nothing but quickly jump to one side and roll over, desperately thinking of a way to defeat such an adversary, without any weapons, and with that rusted thing stuck to his hand. He did not have much time to think as his opponent was already preparing to cut him in half with another mighty swing. The warlord's sword left deep scratches on the walls, as it hit the rocks among hundreds of sparks. The foam at the barbarian's mouth was not quite calming, as the marine also realized that the tight chamber was a deadly trap. His only choice would be to retreat to the armory and hope to find something more useful there.

Despite the heavy sword and all the armor, the warlord ran quite fast, and the marine was forced to avoid the blade a few more times in the hall with the coffins. The enemy was, without any doubt, very experienced, very fast, and unnaturally strong. The warlord could predict Harlan's moves fairly well, and move to block and attack him relentlessly. Kyle managed to evade death for a few minutes, but he started to get tired. He tried to hit his opponent several times, but the barbarian was always faster and blocked the marine's hits with ease, always followed by mocking laughter. One surprising strike broke Kyle's sword, leaving only a few centimeters of rusted metal, still stuck to the marine's hand. When there was no way to defeat the warlord using common ways, Kyle decided that he had to resort to some base cunning.

Avoiding yet another deadly swing, the marine fell to a position where one of the coffins stood between him and the raging enemy. Utilizing the convenient opportunity, Kyle kicked the coffin with full force, launching it straight into the warlord's chest. He fell down under the weight of the coffin, earning Kyle a few valuable seconds to run into the armory and think of a plan of action. Back in the hall of weapons, the marine looked around, desperately looking for anything... his look accidentally fell on the ceiling, where something was tied with enormous chains. A giant battering ram, made of stone and steel – very heavy and positioned to be swung at full speed towards the door to the coffin chamber. There was no time to lose – Kyle quickly climbed on one chain that hung from the ceiling and sat on the battering ram. He could already hear the heavy steps of the warlord, coming closer to the door, and his rambling, among which he could only distinguish the word "coward." Praying that he calculated the moment correctly, Kyle cut two of the chains using the last piece of his broken sword. Riding the siege device, flying at an enormous speed towards the door, and hoping he would not crash into the floor, the marine swung the largest weapon he had ever seen.

The synchrony was amazing. The last thing the warlord saw in his life was a giant steel-clad stone mass that flew right into his face. Kyle frowned when he heard the disgusting sound that accompanied the shattering of the man's skull. A tremor shook the whole crypt, then it was all silent...

The battle was over, and the pathetic remains of the sword fell from Kyle's shaking hands. He looked at it with a smile – it actually did help in defeating the warlord. The marine slowly walked back to the altar room, panting heavily. Just as the previous time, he had nearly avoided certain death. If destiny itself protected him, like the Gatekeeper claimed, then it did a pretty good job. Feeling somewhat relieved, Kyle was also quite terrified at the perspective of a possible future battle with an Ice Revenant. If he could...

"Leave these useless worries aside, human. For now, you will not need to meet the Ice Weasel in battle. Waste no time... Return to the altar chamber and collect your prize. Then... return to the main cavern, and use the black scroll to enter the deepest crypt of all – the Crypt of Eternal Night, the darkest and most secret of these mystic halls. You will not need your weapons in there. Destiny shall soon unfold..."

The marine would certainly like it more if he could have his shotgun back, yet it was nowhere to be found. Reluctantly, he had to trust the Gatekeeper once more... When he got back to the final chamber, Kyle was surprised to see that the altar had disappeared. Underneath it, in a depression of the stone floor, rested a strange-looking dagger, its wave-shaped blade covered with mysterious runes and arcane symbols. The Corporal picked it up carefully and put it in the backpack, where the book from the Heresiarch's tomb was.

Just as he left the altar chamber, Kyle heard the voice of the barbarian warlord once again. It was very low and ghostly, yet clearly distinctive:

"Your victory does not change anything, little human. I fell and cannot complete my task... but the creatures that dwell in the crypt below will force you to do it. There is nothing you can do... Your only chance to change destiny will only appear there, on the burning mountain's summit..."

The voice faded away, leaving Kyle with disturbed thoughts and unanswered questions. What he heard did not bode well, and he had no idea what mountain summit his former enemy talked about. The marine let out a deep sigh. For the thousandth time in the past few months, he was in a situation where nothing was clear. He wished he could meet the Gatekeeper once again and let the demon tell him some more so that he could understand just what was going on all over Io. There was no time to waste as the Major was still missing, and Dr. Stalker was undoubtedly working on something perverted above the surface. The ominous black scroll gave the elevator life, and it lowered to the last stop of its stone shaft. An arch of black marble, without any ornamentation on it, led into a dark crypt, faintly lit by green crystals, which produced an eerie glow.

Eternal night, eternal pain, or eternal damnation – whatever awaited Kyle Harlan, he was prepared to face it once again, just as in the day he boldly descended into the gaping maw of Hell itself.


	18. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER XVII: CRYPT OF ETERNAL NIGHT**

* * *

_I would rather describe my emergence into the Universe as summoning._

The corridor was perfectly quiet – even the howling from the main cavern was shut off by an unknown force. The greenish light gave the scene a ghostly look, giving Kyle the feeling that he would be attacked by the terrible Former Humans at any moment. Packed with ammo, but without any weapons, having only a few mysterious artifacts with an even more mysterious purpose. He had to trust the invisible presence of his defeated former enemy, who seemed to help him just because something threatened him or his plans. The mystery that Kyle wanted to reveal most was the role Doctor Stalker played in all this madness. The marine longed for a simpler situation, where he could blast his way through the demonic hordes with his trusty shotgun in hand, wading through the fallen bodies of his foes on his way to killing yet another demon lord. The world changed, the marine's life changed since that fateful day when he defeated the Gatekeeper and listened to his tale. He felt as if he was cursed when he heard that story.

The corridor ended in a small chamber with a strange carving on the ceiling. Corporal Harlan stopped for a second and examined it. A large circle in the center, several smaller circles close to it, and one more – far in the perimeter. It looked like a model of the Solar System – the sun was in the center, and close to it was the Earth. A bit further was Jupiter, and the tiny dot next to it could only be Io. And then, there was one more planet very far from the rest. Kyle stopped breathing for a few seconds – could that be the last demonic colony that he looked for? The scheme did not have any other marks on it – it could only tell the marine that the planet was very far away from his own Solar System. And judging by the sizes of the circles, the mysterious planet was about the same size as Earth. At least he knew that the place he sought was not very far away. There had to be a clue somewhere in the crypts, and he had to make use of it, unnoticed by the Gatekeeper, whose presence Kyle felt stronger in this deepest crypt.

The next chamber was larger. In the center of the black marble floor was a shallow pit, filled with what Kyle recognized as molten metal. Inside it floated five spheres of different sizes, made from the green metal that the marine had already seen in the treasury. At the other end of the chamber was a door that appeared to be locked. Right in front of it, several concentric circles were drawn on the floor. The picture looked very familiar to the marine. Kyle looked at the metallic spheres in the pool, then again at the circles. If he would place those orbs at certain position on those lines, the picture would look exactly like the scheme of planets he saw on the ceiling in the previous room. Kyle returned there quickly and looked at the carving once again – indeed, it could match. The only concern was that he was not sure about the exact angle from which the picture had to be viewed. A closer examination discovered a tiny symbol drawn next to the outermost circle. The drawing in the next room had a similar symbol, drawn in an entirely different position – easily misleading fools to place the orbs in the wrong positions. Knowing a few things about the nature of demons, Corporal Harlan would bet that there was a quite deadly trap that would activate when the orbs were assembled in the wrong order.

Having discovered the puzzle's secret, Kyle could solve it. After he took the orbs very carefully out of the pit, he slowly put them in place one by one, constantly returning to the previous room to take a look at the model. The last orb he placed represented the hidden demonic colony. The moment it touched the floor, Kyle thought he made a mistake. He had not – several clicks were heard from the door and it started to open slowly, much to the relief of the marine. The door revealed darkness... a room of unknown dimensions, without any light source, except for a few candles, which seemed to float in the air without any physical support, yet did not reduce the darkness at all. The floor, the ceiling, and the walls were shrouded in blackness, and the marine realized he had to cross this zone risking to fall into an invisible pit at every step he would take.

"Damn... can't they just build a normal corridor or something... What the Hell is this thing..."

Cautiously, expecting something bad to happen at any moment, Kyle stepped into the darkness. To his surprise, his own body, clothes, and backpack were still illuminated, just as the floating candles. That made the marine realize that the room did not actually have any walls, floor, and ceiling... He was literally walking through an abysmal void. The human had no idea what purpose the mysterious dark zone could probably serve. The marine did not know for how long he had walked. The entranced appeared as a small lit rectangular in the distance, the floating candles in the air were much rarer. Kyle's feeling that he could fall in the abyss intensified, and he considered returning to the entrance chamber. The problem with that decision was that there was no other way, and without any doubt, the missing Major Boyd was somewhere in this area. It was amazing how this place and all of its wonders had existed for centuries unnoticed, and they had not been detected by anything, not even the deep scans that the UAC performed before establishing Io Base Alpha. Kyle remembered seeing these reports – according to them, the moon of Io was nothing but solid rock, minerals, and pockets of gas, captured within the moon's crust. No natural caverns, let alone demonic crypts. Not even seismic fissures, which were common on all other moons of Jupiter. Because Io was so "quiet", it was among the top choices for building a new UAC facility. The other natural factors of the moon made the ultimate decision easy.

Thinking about this, Kyle noticed a bright rectangular ahead – a possible exit. Willing to leave the zone of the gaping abyss as soon as possible, he rushed towards the door that hung ominously in the emptiness. It was then that the door started to close – slowly at first, slightly accelerating with every passing second. Kyle ran towards it, completely disregarding his fear of falling into a hidden pit. Diving under the closing stone slab, he rolled over and entered the chamber just as a click announced the closing of the door. He had passed the chasm of darkness.

Ahead remained a corridor that ended with a gate covered with runes glowing in many colors. The marine had the feeling that the Major was very close, probably behind that door. Walking towards it, Kyle beheld images carved on the walls – he recognized armies of Hell Knights led by Cyberdemons, the thirteen Gatekeepers standing around a strange ritual circle, weaving an intricate spell. Then, there was a huge mountain with a black-colored cathedral sitting on its top.

As he approached, the runed gate opened revealing a scene that made Kyle stop for a second. Before him stretched a large underground hall. In the center, standing in a sophisticated ritual circle was the missing Gatekeeper statue, surrounded by lit candles, arcane symbols, and lines, which flashed as if lit by an internal fire. At one end of the room was an enormous metal ring that hung in the air without any visible physical support. And at the other end of the room a section was separated by stout metal bars, and behind them was Major Boyd. The hall appeared to be empty, and the Corporal rushed towards the Major, who jumped up once he saw him.

"Harlan, you found me at last! What is going on in here? What is this place?" the Major spat out.

"I do not know, sir. I can only tell you that we are at the lowest level of the crypt. We must get out quickly – something very dangerous might be lurking around the area. We must leave as quickly as possible. I must only find a way to cut these bars and..."

"…And you are not going anywhere," the Gatekeeper's voice erupted in Kyle's head, stronger and clearer than ever, "I suggest that you turn around and greet your host."

Something in the Major's eyes told Kyle that there was someone else in the room, right behind him. He turned around quickly to face an enemy he had only seen in his nightmares – the revenant of ice and crystal, standing more than two meters tall, emanating an aura of frost and malice. The creature's glowing blue eyes were fixed at the marine, as it approached slowly, step by step. Kyle remembered that he had no weapons to defend himself... The creature stopped near the Gatekeeper statue and spoke with its icy voice:

"So, you have finally arrived in this shelter, having passed through the abyss of the eternal night. You truly are resourceful, just as my master told me," the creature looked at the statue for a moment, "And now, if you wish to rescue your human friend, you will have to do a few things for me."

"I am prepared to fight you if that is what it takes," Kyle murmured. The anger from the previous day was arising again.

"That... will not be necessary for now. You will only have to perform a few simple tasks or... well, it would be a pity if the Major froze to death, wouldn't it?"

As these words were spoken, the creature made a subtle gesture and a thin crust of ice covered the bars of the cage. Both men were sure the revenant could conjure something quite more powerful than that. Kyle sighed – he was starting to feel tired of being a toy in the hands of higher powers.

"What must I do?" he asked.

"When you defeated the Heresiarch and the warlord Arcaron, you obtained two very important artifacts," the Ice Weasel replied, "You have brought them with you, haven't you?"

"I have." Kyle clenched his teeth.

"Good, give them to me. Now!" the revenant hissed.

Corporal Harlan had no choice but to do as the demon requested. He handed him the dagger and the bloodstained book he had found after his previous battles. He felt very cold when he approached the creature...

"You are frowning, human," the Ice Revenant noticed, "I understand you very well. I used to be a human long ago. I used to feel the cold on my bare skin and shiver just as you do. Now, we have work to do..."

A small door on one side opened and a Baron of Hell entered the hall. The demon looked at the two humans with burning hatred and an apparent wish to tear them into pieces, yet it walked quietly to the center of the hall, under the unrelenting gaze of the revenant. The Ice Weasel made another subtle gesture and a red flame erupted in a small pit on the floor. It picked up a golden chalice from the floor and handed it to Kyle.

"This is where we need your help, human. We need some of your blood. Cut your arm and fill the chalice up to the black line that you see carved on the inside."

The marine had passed through so much that nothing could really disturb him anymore. The sharp edge of the chalice cut his flesh and let the warm red liquid flow into the cup. He thought it was good that he did not throw away that stimpack that he had in his backpack. The bandages that he had added to it before the first expedition into the crypts were exactly what he needed at that moment. Once the chalice was full, the Ice Revenant picked it up and put it on a stand above the red flame. Its heat made the blood boil violently, in a way Kyle had never seen before. Flashes of green light appeared above the chalice as the spell that was interwoven in it activated. The gems in it glowed unnaturally, and foul black smoke rose from its opening. That was somewhat familiar to Kyle, as he had the feeling he heard about something similar in the Gatekeeper's tale.

Loud hissing signaled the end of the process – the flame faded away and the contents of the chalice calmed down. Kyle was disgusted to see that the blood had transformed into a malignant and thick black liquid that looked like hot tar. A second after that, the chalice was given to the Baron of Hell, who drank its content. The effect was amazing – the demon's eyes started to glow strongly with red light, its horns' color changed to black, and the skin became darker too. The demon's magical abilities were greatly enhanced by the magic of the chalice, and he was waiting for something.

With a quick movement, the Ice Revenant stabbed the Gatekeeper's statue with the dagger and left it there in the stone. He opened the book that Kyle had brought, as the Baron of Hell grabbed the statue's head with his clawed hand. Bright light appeared and engulfed the Baron when the revenant started reading something from the book. Ice Weasel chanted a spell in an intricate language, its voice increasing in power with every next word. The Baron started howling as if he was in terrible pain that burned his body. Kyle could know that it was truly like that. The howling went into screaming, the revenant was not chanting anymore – it was shouting at full strength the strange words of the tome.

Ripples of energy spread through the room, the light was dimmed, and slight tremors shook the ground they stood upon. A thousand whispers erupted in the heads of Major Boyd and Corporal Harlan. A cacophony of unholy voices filled the chamber, as the glow that came from the statue became unbearable. The two men shut their eyes, hoping it would all end soon.

With a final shriek of agony, the Baron of Hell's body was overwhelmed by convulsions. The demon fell dead on the floor, green blood sipping out of his mouth. The Ice Weasel shouted what seemed to be the final word of the spell, a powerful tremor shook the hall, and all lights went out. Kyle stepped back, fearing a sudden attack in the dark. It was then that he felt something.

He felt _his _presence – the presence of his old enemy who was defeated at the site of the UAC Plutonia Project. The lights were restored, and the marine saw that a significant change had occurred in the room. The statue in the center was shattered into tiny pieces, which were spread all over the hall, and in its place stood a living being. The same being that the statue portrayed. The Gatekeeper... alive once again!

"The promise has been upheld. I live once more. I return to this world in the time when its destiny is to be decided." The Gatekeeper howled with triumph.

Kyle could still not believe what had just happened in the crypt. The Gatekeeper, the one he had slain on Earth, the one who told him the ghastly tale of Hell and its secrets, was alive.

"No... that is not possible. You are dead, I know it. I killed you, I... sealed the last Gate of Hell and put an end to your schemes." Kyle spoke in disbelief.

The Gatekeeper turned his burning gaze towards the marine and showed his teeth. It seemed that the demon was trying to smile.

"Commendable, human. I was slain – a feat mortals can only dream of. But now I have returned. The Ice Weasel used the one and only charge of a unique spell that was given to him long ago, in worlds you have never seen. He utilized this one opportunity to cast the spell wisely. He brought me back, in the most critical moment – in the final hour before the point of no return"

Kyle felt he was going to collapse – was that the purpose of all the perils he went through?

"But how... how is it possible that you live once again?"

The marine stepped back when the Gatekeeper's laughter filled the chamber. The demon looked straight into the human's eyes and spoke once again:

"No living being dies, unless it alone wishes to. I had to return. I have unfinished business. And, believe it or not, I have to join forces with you. A storm is coming, human, a terrible storm that will threaten the existence of both your and my race. By reaching this shelter, you proved that you are a worthy ally. And indeed a shelter it is – here we are safe from the enemy that has awakened among the stars. Safe... at least for now. The human named Stalker has already configured his dimensional gate in your overrun colony. Soon he would open the portal and fulfill the mission that was given to him by his dark mentor, who also happens to be our common enemy."

Major Boyd was still quite puzzled by all the events that had just happened in front of him. He leaned forward and whispered to Kyle:

"What is going on in here? That demon speaks to you as if you know each other! Is there something that I should know." The Major was becoming increasingly suspicious.

"Major Boyd... sir... it is very complicated and I will have to keep the explanations for later. I am on your side, if that is what worries you. I assure you."

"I do not know whether I can believe you... for now I will trust you, no matter the risk."

The Gatekeeper looked at the Major carefully.

"This will not be necessary anymore," he murmured and whispered a few strange words. The bars that surrounded the Major disappeared immediately. The marine stood up and assumed a position next to Corporal Harlan, waiting to see what would happen next. The Gatekeeper came a few steps closer to the humans.

"Now that you are ready to listen, I will explain the reason you are here. The one named... Kyle... has already heard my tale, which explained everything to him. But, there is a very important thing that I deliberately missed while telling you that story. Now, humans, you I will tell you about something that will explain the reason for these crypts to be built, the reason for the Heresiarch and Warlord to be preserved here, and the reason why Earth was invaded. Yes, human... my tale never gave you a completely clear and precise answer as to why Hell had to invade your home planet."

The Gatekeeper and the Ice Weasel sat on the floor. The two men hesitated for a while, but then did the same.

"Now," the Gatekeeper said, "We shall help you to solve your crisis, but in turn you will have to help us too. We have to unite because that, which was set in motion long ago, is now reaching its climax. The Old Gods have awakened. Tricked and defeated by mortals aeons ago, they have started the scheme to seek their vengeance upon all life. The coming storm can spell doom for both demons and humans. Now listen – my tale shall now reveal the final secret..."


	19. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER XVIII: THE ESSENCE OF EXISTENCE**

* * *

_Still remember – the Elder Worlds had a foothold in your own world millennia ago._

The eerie atmosphere of the vast underground hall was amplified by the complete silence that had settled in it. Two demons and two humans sat, facing each other, tense to see who would start first. Kyle felt strange every time his wandering eyes met the burning gaze of the Gatekeeper. He was still confused by the thought that his dead enemy was sitting right in front of him, breathing once again, plotting and scheming once again. The question that had bothered him for so long finally came to his lips:

"How is it possible? How come you could speak to me, send me these visions, guide me... and finally rise from the dead and be sitting here? How?"

The Gatekeeper seemed to grin when he heard the question. He was expecting it...

"You see, human, what makes us different from you, mortals, is the fact that the destruction of our physical form does not put an end to our existence. Tell me, marine, what happened to the Dark Lord, the mighty Baphomet?"

"He is dead... I killed him, I saw him shatter into pieces... and then the invasion ended." Kyle replied confidently.

"Wrong. Baphomet is not truly dead. He created Hell, he was eternally bound to it and its heart – the Burning Core, the source of all infernal power. If he was dead... Hell would have been permanently destroyed too. However, Hell still exists, does it not? This could only mean that Baphomet's essence persists – in a plane of time and space that I cannot yet identify."

The demon made a short pause so that the inferior human minds could assimilate the information.

"There is one more thing that surprised even me when I realized it. As I told you, only I, and one of my brothers survived the battle at the Icon of Sin. Ever since I killed him in the Warrens and assumed lordship over Hell, I felt something strange about me. I had changed in a way I could not explain. It was only recently that I realized what had happened. The Burning Core of Hell has a complicated system of balance. When the balance is broken, like when you defeated Baphomet in battle, it seeks to restore it in the simplest and fastest way possible. And so it has... can you suppose how?"

"No, this stuff is way beyond me." Kyle replied honestly.

"As I said, in the simplest way possible – a piece, a very small piece of Baphomet lives inside me."

Kyle gasped when he heard that.

"This is the truth, human. A very small piece of His essence, yet I can feel it. And it feels me too – it made me stronger, more confident, more arrogant, with a clearer vision for the future and the Universe. Sometimes I even think that Baphomet chose me before I defeated my brother... and gave me the strength to do so. Sometimes my thoughts go in unexpected directions, and I assume that these are actually His thoughts, rather than mine. You are right, human, you cannot understand it."

While Kyle was thinking about what he had just heard, Major Boyd came out of his stupor, and looked around the room, trying to calm himself and make things logical again. But they were not – all Hell had broken loose after Corporal Harlan's coming. He had decided not to be surprised anymore, not even if a scantily-clad demon waitress entered the room, carrying coffee and cookies. The Major thought he should ask the most important question:

"Ok... demons or whatever. What is it that makes you help us? And why do you think we want to help you. What could you want us to do? I still consider you to be our enemies. Just as the survivors of your invasion…"

The Gatekeeper turned his eyes towards the Major and grinned again.

"Major Nicholas Boyd," he said slowly, "While I highly commend your skills as a marine commander, your appraisal of the situation is quite superficial. Let me say two things. First, you are both alive only because we have decided so. We need you, and you need us – I will soon explain why. Second, we may have been your enemies, but now humanity faces an even greater threat – one that has consumed civilizations way more powerful than your own. It's the same threat that hangs above us, demons, our last outpost, and the last survivors in Hell. I know how narrow-minded you humans tend to be, but I believe that you can realize the importance of us being united. Especially now."

The Major could not reply to this. "This world is going straight to Hell," he sadly thought. A second later, he realized that Earth had nearly gone to Hell half a year ago...

"If you have finished with the questions, mortals," the Ice Revenant hissed, "We can finally discuss something of great importance. And, perhaps, the time has come to explain the purpose of these crypts, and the reason why you two were brought here."

The Ice Weasel looked at the Gatekeeper, who only nodded. The demon took out a small crystal orb from somewhere and put in on the floor, between the two facing parties. The mocking grin on his face was changed by what seemed to be a serious expression. The demon looked both men in the eyes and began his tale:

"Millennia ago, in the time of the Elder Worlds, both humanity and the Deities faced one problem: the forces of magic were innately chaotic and unstable. Such power was quite attractive to both sides – human magi sought to get closer to the gods themselves, while the Deities were compelled to unravel the secrets of Existence, and elevate beyond its boundaries, to ascend into a state that no human can possibly understand. Yet, the forces of magic were unstable... very unstable and dangerous. Accident would happen. For humans, these accidents almost always meant certain death. To Deities, they led to temporary weakness that they despised. Both sides sought a solution, something that would allow them to tap into the prime energies more freely and safely...

This task was considered foolish and impossible by many, but the temptation was too strong. It was apparent that a solution to the problem would change the world forever. A change that, as it was proven afterwards, led to the fall of the Elder Worlds... The most powerful among the mortal magi and the Deities convened to find an answer to the issue. Many days passed in argument and experimentation until, finally, one of the Deities came to the conclusion that the chaotic forces of magic could be tamed and stabilized if put within the frame of a refractory singularity. That means to polarize magic – polarize it between two precise opposites that would serve as the bases of the flow refraction.

After this discovery, the problem was different – the two extremes of the polarity had to be chosen. Those two had to be perfectly stable, unchangeable, and eternal in both concept and practice. More discussions and experimentation was conducted... until finally Baphomet discovered the answer. Baphomet discovered what the two polarities had to be – and they were indeed eternal, unchangeable, and fully bound to Existence and its laws.

Life and Death.

And indeed, these were chosen to be the polarities of magic – what more stable than those two, what more absolute than them? The only task that remained was to create physical manifestations of Life and Death. That is how the Essences were created.

The Essence of Life, which would serve as the physical manifestation of the Life polarity had to be bound to a living being. There was no other way – life could not exist without a living being to carry its spark. The forces of magic were left to make their choice by their own mysterious volition. And so, the eternal flows of magic chose... the human race. That fateful choice forever bound the Deities to secretly despise humanity and envy their privilege of carrying the Essence of Life within their own physical form. The Essence took its physical manifestation and became part of the human body – finally physical and tangible, and bound to its carrier."

The Gatekeeper touched the crystal sphere and an image appeared within – four crystal cylindrical containers, each filled with a liquid of different color.

"Do you recognize these, humans? No? I have always been sincerely amazed by the ignorance of your race – unable to recognize the Essence of Life, even when it flows through your own veins! Ironic... in very ancient times, primitive humans did recognize the Essences, but their knowledge is long lost..."

"Still, there were problems with the four Essences of Life – their purity. In most humans, they were clean enough to serve their polarizing purpose, but it was absolute purity, which is needed for one specific ritual. Absolute purity could only be found in one specific human – a great human warrior from the Elder world, who had won countless victories against absurd odds. It was he who carried the purest of Essences of Life, and that fact alone caused him to be constantly reincarnated within intervals of many centuries, as that purity did not allow his spirit to permanently leave the physical world. Before today, that warrior was reincarnated twice – the first time was millennia ago, at the time of the Temple of Darkness. Marine, now you should completely understand what my exact mission there was – to gather an army that would hunt down that man, capture him, and collect the pure four Essences of Life... which, of course, led to his death."

"As for the Essences of Death," the Gatekeeper continued, "There were three of them, the exact opposite of Life. They could not be integrated into a living being – they would instantly kill them and erase all traces of their existence. Death is very close to non-existence, and that is why it was very difficult to create its physical manifestation. Death is also, in a way, an abstraction, and that further made it impossible to manifest it in the real world. It was again my former master and current piece of my being – Baphomet – who discovered the solution. Where all else failed, words could help. Three tomes, with covers of copper, lead, and gold were prepared, and they were filled with the longest and most complicated spells that has ever been created by a human or a Deity. This was the spell that would manifest a miniature vortex of pure Death into the physical Universe – written on three huge tomes. When the last symbol of the spell was written, the small vortex did appear – instantly killing all human scribes, which were in the room, by devouring their souls. Baphomet resisted the destructive force long enough to close the books and lock them – thus they were safe to handle. But when opened... all life in their close vicinity simply ceases to exist.

With Life and Death having stable manifestations in the physical world, the forces of magic were forced to assume a refractory singularity, polarized between those extremes. And all problems disappeared – magic became stronger, more stable, and more accessible to anyone. But with increased power came greater corruption..."

The Gatekeeper touched the orb yet again. Inside it, the two humans saw three tomes, just as described.

"And now, I will tell you the reason I gave you all that information. The usage of the Essences of Death and the purest Essences of Life is the key to a ritual that can open a portal... into the Elder Worlds, negating the Shield surrounding them, giving access to these worlds' secrets... and the Runes themselves!"

Kyle was struck by that sudden revelation. Of course – the Elder Runes! The artifacts that the entities in all Universes craved. And the Gatekeeper had played him all along, following his own plans, still seeking to gain possession of the artifacts. And it seemed that he could read his thoughts...

"I know very well that you feel used, human, but it is for your own good. If you are afraid that I could try to use all seven Essences to gain entry into the Elder Worlds, you are wrong. The portal needs one more artifact to be opened. But that artifact is lost forever... Can you, marine, guess where the portal was built? It was constructed at the last remaining demonic outpost in your Universe – the same one that you are looking for, the same one, which is preparing bitter vengeance for humankind. I wish I could do something about it, but I can't. We have so far been unable to contact that colony."

"Are you threatening us?" Major Boyd snapped.

"No, human. As I said, I cannot connect with them. _Tei Tenga_***** is too far away, even for my augmented powers."

"You two stop quarreling," Kyle shouted, "And you – cut the ancient history lecture and tell me at last what is the purpose of this crypt, and why we are here." The Corporal looked at the demon with the same determination as in the day they met in the Plutonia Project site.

The grin on the Gatekeeper's face reappeared.

"Certainly. As you know, we already have the four pure Essences of Life. They are safe and under our control. We only need the Essences of Death and the missing artifact. The three Essences of Death are hidden in your Universe, in a black cathedral, which is magically protected against any Deities, demons, or undead. It has no magical defenses against humans and they can enter it freely. However, it conceals numerous deadly traps and a powerful guardian that will kill any trespassing human. This is the reason we kept the Heresiarch and his fallen priests, and the Warlord and his barbarians here. They were to be sent on an expedition to retrieve the Essences of Death from the Black Cathedral. This trip would be very dangerous as the cathedral was built by the Black Magi – the ones who inhabited the elder Realm of Black Magic and participated most actively in the creation of the Death Essences. It was they who took possession of the three tomes after the fall of the Elder worlds, built the Black Cathedral, and locked the tomes there, in a sealed vault. And the purpose of these crypts was to prepare and ultimately execute our plan for the acquisition of the Essences of Death. Besides, it was a very useful outpost in ancient times…"

Kyle started to figure out all things – still one last very important detail remained.

"There is only one more thing I cannot understand," Kyle said, "Why did you build these crypts in this specific location, on Io? Where exactly is the Black Cathedral?"

The Gatekeeper looked the marine straight into the eyes and whispered the answer:

"On Mars."

* * *

*** Tei Tenga** – this was the name of the planet where Doom was originally supposed to take place, according to Tom Hall's _Doom Bible_ (the earliest design document outlining what the game would be like, before actual work on it had even begun). Google it and read it – it is very interesting to see how Doom was imagined for the first time: several playable characters with different stats, treasure items (e.g. sacrificial daggers and Unholy Bibles), six game episodes, a more complicated storyline... definitely spare some time to read it :)

On a somewhat related note, Tei Tenga is the first planet in the second episode of 3D Realms' action/simulator game _Terminal Velocity_ – a game that Tom Hall was involved in. A rock-solid DOS classic.


	20. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER XIX: RETURN TO MARS**

* * *

_That world was the sanctuary of renegade magi who delved into the dark arts of necromancy and witchcraft._

Kyle was still very confused by what he had just learned. Everything became much clearer – especially the invasion and everything that happened afterwards.

"Ok, you wanted to gain possession of the Essences of Death. But why invade Earth? Why exterminate humanity?" he asked.

The Gatekeeper shook his head, just like a human who is tired of explaining something to a stubborn child.

"The portal that the seven Essences can open is quite stable, but not suitable for Baphomet to pass through. For a Gatekeeper like me, it would be very easy, but not for a Deity such as my former master. To that end, he needed your planet and its unique energy patterns. But how he would use them – this I know not, even though I carry a piece of Him in my soul."

A whole planet was invaded because of the whims of a powerful being... Kyle began to clearly understand why there was a Great Rebellion. He had always hated the idea of being a puppet in someone else's hands. He turned to the Gatekeeper as he apparently had something more to say.

"We should not waste any more time – the human Simon Stalker is already working with one of the Old Gods who broke their covenant and did not hide away to sleep and await the Day of the Awakening. He lives only to consume and assimilate… and now he has set his sight on something which will upset the delicate balance of this Universe. Should he obtain what he seeks, humanity, as well as the entire physical world will be in great peril."

"So," Kyle replied, "This... ancient God is trying to get his claws on the Runes too?"

"No, human, the current situation suggests that he wants something else... It is not important exactly what it is. This is not your concern for the time being."

The Gatekeeper made short pause before turning to the Ice Revenant.

"Ice Weasel, do you have something to tell me about what is happening in the human settlement above us?"

"Yes, master, they opened a stable Gate for a very short time quite recently. Through it came two creatures. I did not sense any magic about them, but I did sense a complicated cybernetic construct signature."

"Just as I predicted... _they_ have arrived at last. We are dealing with one known as the Makron – a scheming, excessively hostile, sworn enemy of humanity, an old adversary of Baphomet, unrelenting in the pursuit of his goals. One of the most fearsome of the Old Gods. And now we have caught His attention. No doubt, he knows about me, and that angers him even more. He will have to change his plans. The physical form he has assumed in this Universe has limited his powers, yet he has created an entire civilization of deadly minions whose ferocity and hunger to assimilate rival even the bloodlust of demons."

"What exactly is it," Major Boyd interrupted, intrigued by all that was happening, "Tell us exactly what is going on and we shall decide if we would help."

"Sir," Kyle said, "I have the feeling that we are not in the position to bargain. Besides, I think we should listen to it... him. We might have been enemies once, but so far he has never lied to me."

The Gatekeeper nodded.

"Indeed. I see that you are much more reasonable since our last meeting. Quite impressive for a human. My respect for you is reinforced... But we are deviating from the problem at hand. Even if we succeed in stopping the mad plans of the Makron, his greatest design will still remain. His army is always combat-ready, they have been specially built for war and conquest. He is preparing to send them at humanity in the distant future. I cannot foresee what would be the outcome of this war, but I do feel that you will have mighty heroes who will rise up to the challenge. That, which was set in motion during the Great Rebellion, will reach its climax soon. It would be either the Deities, or one of the mortal races that will inherit the Universe. This will be decided in one final conflict such as none of you, marines, can possibly imagine."

The Gatekeeper made another pause. It seemed as if the demon was thinking about something very unpleasant, as if the thoughts in his mind caused him unbearable pain. Kyle suspected that he could see what would happen, and did not have the strength to say it. The Ice Revenant noticed the demon's confusion and added:

"You see, humans, the defeat of Baphomet and the ravaging of Hell stirred everything in the Universe. Many of the Old Gods have awakened and see opportunities to seize that, which they have always cherished – the cursed Runes, which should have never been created in the first place! They have brought nothing but pain and regret to everyone, yet all players in this deadly game are trying to gain possession of them. As my master mentioned before, when he attempted to open a Gate into the Elder worlds using Void Spheres and the human-designed accelerators, something responded from the other side. Do you know what this means?"

Kyle could not know for sure.

"I think it means that someone from the other side is trying to escape into our world." Kyle suggested.

"That is true, but not the important point that I am trying to make. What is significant is that the creature who responded is clearly not in stasis. Everything under the Shield is locked in an eternal state of stasis. Yet, that creature was active. That can only mean that something has changed. The Shield has been disrupted by something, though I doubt it was my master's efforts. I assume that many of the captured living beings in the Elder Worlds have been awakened, and are in confusion, not knowing what to do. The Deity, which was left to guard the Elder Worlds, the one known as Shub-Niggurath, is most probably awakened too and, knowing a few things about her nature, I am _very_ worried by whatever she might be planning or doing at the moment. Just like Baphomet, she has always been scheming and pursuing her own foul ends by all means possible..."

The Gatekeeper shook his head, as if to shake off a painful vision and sighed, just as a human would. He stared at the two humans for a few seconds then spoke again, with a voice that implied that he was exhausted by whatever just happened in his mind.

"We shall waste no more time. The drawing you see over there on the wall is a portal. It was prepared for the Heresiarch, the Warlord, and their minions to go through, starting their mission on Mars. Now you and Major Boyd will go through it, find the Black Cathedral, which rests near the summit of Olympus Mons, infiltrate it, retrieve the three Essences of Death, and return them back to me. Only then shall we aid you against the one known as Stalker. I shall not accept bargaining or any contradictions – you would either do it, or be left to the mercy of that human scientist's undead puppets."

Major Boyd did not need to be urged – he was ready to do anything, just to get away from the crypts. Corporal Harlan agreed, yet he remembered to keep his eyes open, aware that there always was something hidden that the Gatekeeper would not reveal.

"We accept your offer, as we have no choice. But we have no weapons and equipment – how are we going to do it?" Kyle asked.

"Worry not, human," the Gatekeeper whispered, "I have something for you and your Major. For you, Corporal, I have something that you lost when you defeated Baphomet. I found it among the ruins, and now it shall be yours once again."

The Gatekeeper pulled out of _somewhere_ an object that Corporal Harlan immediately recognized – his old and trusty double-barreled sawed-off shotgun that he had used when he fought the demonic invaders on Earth. This old companion had saved his life quite a few times. And now it was back – and it was cleaned up and repaired, the Gatekeeper had done quite a good job.

"As for you, Nicholas Boyd, I have something that I claimed as a trophy from a group of elite marines at the Plutonia Project research facility. The Ice Weasel was able to secretly visit the Temple of Darkness and bring it here."

Finishing his words, the Gatekeeper presented the Major something that he had always craved to see – a shining new BFG 9000. The officer's shaking hands gently touched the weapon, his mind still unable to believe that he actually held it in his hands.

"I don't know if I am dreaming," the Major uttered, "But if I am, that must be a rather weird but good dream."

The Gatekeeper approached the strange design on the wall and raised his arms, twisting his claws in a strange gesture. The demon started chanting something that sounded like a very sad song, increasing the volume slowly as bluish sparks appeared over the surface of the drawing. The Ice Weasel approached the two humans and pointed at several objects that rested in one darker corner.

"These two are suits that will allow you to walk the lifeless surface of Mars without suffocating. The backpack contains ammo for the shotgun and the... hmmm... BFG. I brought it from the Plutonia Project compound so the items inside are fresh and ready to use."

The Gatekeeper's chanting changed into screaming as the spell intensified and the wall was burning with blue flames. Then, it ceased suddenly – the wall had disappeared and a swirling portal stood in its place. Through it, blurred, Kyle could see the dust and rocks of the Martian surface. His suit was already on, and the shotgun loaded and prepared to deal harsh punishment. The Major was ready to follow, feeling proud and strong with a real loaded BFG in his hands.

"The Gate is stable. The energy channel is clear and will not be noticed by anyone on Io or on Mars. It is time for you to go," the Gatekeeper said slowly, looking through the gate into the lifeless landscape.

The two marines walked confidently through the swirling portal. A slight feeling of dizziness, a short sensation of lack of gravity, and they were at a different place. Their feet sank in the reddish dust of the surface of Mars, and the flashlights integrated in their suits revealed a landscape Kyle knew all too well. A landscape he had grown to hate.

Behind them, the portal buckled into itself and went out of existence. Right before it disappeared completely, the marines heard the Gatekeeper's voice once again:

"Know that I shall not open a portal for you to return, until you complete the task. Do not make any foolish plans – the air supply in the suits will not be enough for you to reach the human Mars colony. Take the path to the right – you will soon learn where to find the cathedral."

The voice faded away and the two men found themselves alone upon the barren wasteland. They walked to the right, as instructed, and followed the trail that led higher into what was known to be the highest mountain in the Solar System. However, it seemed that the portal had taken them very close to the summit. When Kyle turned back, he could see the UAC Mars Colony – a small dot very far in the distance. Indeed, the air they had would not be enough to reach it. Anyway, Kyle preferred to die than return there, under the pressure of all the bad memories. The worst of them was the memory of his apathy and his doubts whether he did the right thing when he assaulted his superior officer. It was an impulsive action, but for a good reason! He always repeated that to himself, yet the doubts remained.

While they walked up the path, Kyle explained many things to Major Boyd. He told the officer about the day he met the Gatekeeper, he told him some things about the shocking tale he heard from the dying demon, he told him what he knew about the Old Gods, the Elder Worlds, and the visions. Both marines were very curious about the entity the Gatekeeper referred to as "Makron." They were also curious about his spawned race, which were supposed to be beings built for war. If this were true, and if they really had plans to attack Earth in the future... they tried not to think about that for some time and concentrate on the task at hand. With the available weapons and armor, Kyle believed that they would not have serious problems. Still, they had no idea what resistance they would face.

* * *

The path they walked on changed. The marines could clearly distinguish stone blocks, which were arranged just like pavement. Civilization had clearly been at work at this place. As they went on, the mountain trail turned into a real paved road of dark red stones. And finally, beyond one last turn, Kyle Harlan and Major Boyd faced a sight that made them stop for a while.

An enormous cathedral, built from black stone and iron stood before them. Black spires rose towards the dark Martian sky. The walls were ornamented with unknown runes at places. It had windows, but they were completely black and nothing could be seen through them. One imposing arch was the entrance – beyond it stood a door carved with images of skeletons that stretched their hands at three objects that looked like books. Kyle looked back towards the black spot that was the UAC colony. But no one from there could see the wondrous edifice that stood here, one of the Solar System's greatest wonders.

As they approached the entrance, Major Boyd noticed that there was an area around the entrance that was surrounded by a very faint glow – like a force field. Kyle touched it carefully but it neither stopped his hand, nor injured it in any way. Gaining some more courage, the marines stepped through the field and instantly felt something different – there was breathable air around them, and that was confirmed by the portable analyzers that were integrated in the suits. They could take their helmets of, and so they did.

Corporal Harlan stepped closer to the door, and it slowly opened, revealing pitch-black emptiness beyond its frame. They had to cross over into it, whatever could be waiting on the other side.

"Are you ready, Major Boyd, sir? Whatever happens, we can face it as soldiers."

"Lead the way, Harlan. After today, nothing can give me pause, not even the darkest of demonic lairs." The Major said with a smile.

The two men stepped forth and the darkness swallowed them.


	21. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER XX: THE BLACK CATHEDRAL**

* * *

_Though considered renegades and heretics, those black magi were fulfilling the will of the Deities in a way, and were a part of the mechanism of manipulation over humanity..._

It was dark. The flashlight's beam sank in the blackness, as if devoured by foul magic. Judging by what they could touch, the two men knew that they were moving down a narrow corridor, towards the center of the cathedral. Every noise the marine made was muffled, and the air they breathed seemed somewhat heavy and thick, as if a mystic ethereal shroud or a web hung in the passageway.

"Be careful, sir," Kyle whispered, "I have a very bad feeling about this place. It seems perfectly quiet, but something tells me it is not quite abandoned."

"Better watch your step, Corporal. I can take care of myself, especially with this sweetie in my hands."

The Major had already loaded a fresh cell pack into the BFG, and adjusted it carefully so that it would be able to bring down even the toughest of Barons of Hell with only one shot. Kyle trusted his shotgun above all else. Still, he hoped that he would not have to use it, and the cathedral was abandoned. The corridor went on, consumed by overwhelming darkness and a feeling that something very evil and dangerous was lying in ambush somewhere within the black edifice.

Finally, the light seemed to regain its strength. The tunnel ended, opening into a small triangular chamber. There were two doors – one to the left, and one to the right. Corporal Harlan stopped in hesitation.

"Damn, they look exactly the same. Sir, perhaps we should split up?"

Major Boyd frowned. "No, I think we should stay together. I don't like this place. I feel we are not alone."

"I know what you mean, sir. I can feel it too... Let's take the right one."

The two men approached the closed door slowly and opened it. No reaction. Beyond it was another corridor, this time lit by the dim light that came through the stained glass windows along the right wall. The images on the windows caught the marines' attention – there were dragons, robed figures, and images of creatures never seen by human beings. Along the left wall of the corridor, there were entrances into smaller rooms. They all seemed abandoned, yet were filled with various items. One such chamber had an old cauldron in its center. It was full of blackened human bones. Another room had several crude iron tables – there were ancient tomes left on them, but they crumbled to dust when the marines tried to approach them. Other rooms revealed shelves and empty flasks arranged on them, and some were filled with what looked like ancient sarcophagi. Kyle and Major Boyd passed down the corridor, having decided not to disturb the peace of these forgotten places. In his mind, Corporal Harlan was still striving to believe how all this existed so close to Earth. And no one ever knew about it...

As for Major Boyd, he was still finding it hard to believe that he was involved in all this. In his young years as a marine, he longed for adventure and danger, but now that he finally got it, he was not so sure whether he still had the flame deep inside. He had some doubts that his duty as an officer had dulled his passion for battle. This was not something he would put up with – every marine was supposed to be a fighting machine, even at a higher rank. Still, marines did not face such supernatural adventures every day.

A door, which seemed to be the end of the corridor, appeared. Beyond it, the two men could see a very well lit hallway with arches, which continued further into the cathedral's depths. As they stepped forward to enter that room, both marines heard a faint voice in their heads. The voice of the Gatekeeper.

"Be warned, humans. After they hid the artifacts here, the Council of the Dark Magi sacrificed themselves, in order to imbue the building itself with their souls. Should they awaken, they will have full control over the entire edifice. I cannot predict what they can unleash at you beside the Guardian... Be also warned that in the next hallway lies the most ghastly of the cathedral's defense systems – the Circle of Truth. When you pass through it, you will see visions of either your past... or your future. These are only visions... do not succumb to them or your lives will be forfeit..."

The voice faded away. The marines stopped for a while before they would move on. They quickly decided to move as quietly as possible, as they did not to awaken whatever haunted the place. They moved on into the hallway, which was lined with torches, still burning, as if fueled by magic. Further up the corridor was a narrow section, which was taken up by a sparkling circle made of white crystal. The corridor was built in such a way that there was no means of avoiding passing through the circle.

"Sir," Kyle whispered, "That must be the thing the demon warned us about. We should be careful."

"No worries here, Harlan. Just remember that it is only an illusion... or so I hope."

The two men approached the circle. On closer examination, its surface appeared to be liquid and alive. Low humming emanated from it, as well as a feeling that the air was electrified. They both stepped inside it. Nothing happened.

Major Boyd was both surprised and somewhat disappointed. The circle seemed not to react in any way to their presence. He shrugged and took another step...

...Straight into a furious battle. Shocked by the sudden change of scenery, Major Boyd looked around frantically. Burning buildings, flying rockets, plasma discharges. He was in a city, on Earth, and that city was under attack by demons. Hell Knights and Mancubi marched steadily towards the place where the marines had fortified themselves, ignoring the heavy losses that they sustained under the rain of flaming death that the desperate defenders unleashed upon them. Ahead in the distance, the Major could see several other similar fortifications – they were already destroyed and crushed by the advancing wave of demons that was now heading for the Major's position.

"Captain Boyd... what are we going to do, we are running low on ammo. Captain... Captain, do you hear me?"

A young marine, his face covered with fresh blood, holding his severely wounded right arm, was standing right in front of Nicholas Boyd. He referred to him as "Captain..."

An explosion nearby caused one of the defense towers to collapse, sending two marine to their death among burning debris. One of the other young soldiers had found a rocket launcher somewhere, and tried to use it to push back the approaching Hell Knights.

"Captain Boyd... please, what is wrong with you... tell us what to do... they are coming... I don't want to die here. Sir..."

The Major looked at himself – he was wearing a dirty Captain's uniform, he was holding a shotgun in hand, and was surrounded by wounded and desperate marines. They were all looking at him, waiting for orders. A part of the fortification fell, melted away by plasma bolts – Arachnotrons were approaching, and with their arrival, the fate of the marines was decided...

Then, Major Boyd remembered. This was a scene from his past – from the demonic siege on a small town during the invasion of Earth! At this time he was not yet promoted to the rank of Major... he was a Captain, and he had to hold off the demonic advance for some more before... yes, now everything was clear.

"Return to the fortification and unload everything you have on them," the Major shouted, "Hold them off for just a little longer... help is on the way"

The marines cheered at the command. They knew it was desperate, but at least they could fight to their last drop of blood. They returned at their stations and unleashed a hurricane of rockets, plasma, and bullets at the approaching hordes. Their losses were massive, yet they did not stop. Meter by meter they came closer. Ammunition was almost depleted, and the marines were chilled to see that a Cyberdemon had come from behind the corner. The creature's rocket launcher was already aimed for the platform where the Captain was standing.

Major Boyd knew very well what would happen next. A roar from the sky was heard, and the demonic advance was instantly stopped by the air strike that the Captain had requested... Right on time. Now the marines could safely retreat and evacuate all civilians from the area...

The vision disappeared as suddenly as it started. The Major was standing on the other side of the circle, and Corporal Harlan was still standing in it, staring at him.

"Major Boyd, are you alright. You were standing like paralyzed... you were mumbling something I could not hear."

The Major smiled, having felt the passion for adventure revitalized.

"I am fine. The damn thing showed an episode from my past... the invasion of Earth... and me defending a group of buildings with civilians in them. It shows you things after you go past the circle's center. Be careful."

Kyle took a deep breath and stepped forward...

...Only to fall down because of sudden and unexpected pain the left leg. Gasping, trying to regain is concentration, Kyle stood up on his unharmed leg and looked around... to discover that he was no longer in the cathedral.

The marine found his hands resting upon black soil. The air was saturated with the smell of burned flesh, sulphur, and decay. The sky above was burning and swirling in an eternal storm.

He was in Hell. But was this the past or the future?

Kyle looked at his leg – there was wound, small and not dangerous, but rather painful. Then he remembered that he had never sustained such a wound in his life. Not even in Hell.

He rose and looked around – the landscape was eerily familiar. The continent of Inferno. And above – the moon of Deimos, still floating. This time, it seemed that something had happened there – smoke rose from its surface, as if the buildings were damaged or destroyed by a ravaging army. The plains of the continent seemed abandoned, there was no trace of demons or their bizarre structures. He turned around...

Behind him, gaping in the burned surface of Hell was an enormous pit, which appeared to have been dug recently. The pit was filled with a complicated network of metal structures, machinery, buildings, and many other things he had never seen in his life. It was an excavation! But who could have done it, who could be excavating in Hell? Thinking about that, Kyle suddenly felt that he was not alone.

He had a sawed-off shotgun in hands... not the same as the one he had in the cathedral, but still quite a good model. He turned around quickly, prepared to nail down whatever crept behind his back. He stopped, paralyzed with dread at the sight of the creature that waited for him...

It must have been organic once, but much of its body was replaced by metal elements, turning it into a half-organic, half-machine abomination. On its armor, it had an unknown insignia – a skull, with lightning bolts coming out of it, like hair. Before the marine could react, the thing aimed its right arm at him. The arm opened, revealing what seemed to be a machine gun or a shotgun.

The marine closed his eyes. Inside his mind, he was shouting to himself that it was all an illusion... a vision.

"Corporal Harlan, are you alright? You can calm down now, you have passed the circle... stand up and look at me."

It was over. The marine was kneeling right next to Major Boyd, holding the shotgun in a position for shooting. It was over.

"What did you see, Corporal? What disturbed you so much?"

"Sir, it was... something I had never seen before. I saw the future... or maybe a possible version of the future. It was in Hell, they were digging for something and then there was this hideous cyborg... I do not want to talk about it right now."

Having passed this obstacle, the marines were ready to go on. The bright hallway ended with a heavy iron gate. It opened without a noise, revealing an enormous dark hall – such as the naves of preserved cathedrals on Earth. There were no pews, but lines of chandeliers and urns. A black carpet led to the other side of the hall, where gates, cut from blood-red metal stood.

The marines stepped into the hall, and the iron gate closed behind them immediately. A clicking sound told them that it was locked. Blood-chilling laughter echoed through the hall, cold wind blew and extinguished all candles, leaving only the dim light from the stained glass windows.

Major Boyd raised the BFG and whispered.

"Prepare your gun, Corporal. Most probably, you will live to see Hell once again, so fear not. As for me, I have something for whatever bastards are going to attack us. Prepare for battle."


	22. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER XXI: THE GUARDIAN**

* * *

_The chosen day came. I was prepared to begin my last battle._

Ominous thundering could be heard throughout the cathedral, as if an enormous creature was walking somewhere nearby. It became darker – strange goo-like liquid covered the windows one by one. Just before complete darkness could take domination, many candles were lit by an unknown force, filling the great hall with their eerie glow. At that moment, just as the two men were wondering what to do, a chorus of many voices thundered through the emptiness...

"Who dares enter our sanctum? Who dares seek the secrets, which were forbidden and buried, destined never to fall into human hands ever again? Two mortals we sense here... two humans who shall find their gruesome deaths in the hands of our elite guard..."

Just as the voices faded away, metallic clanking was heard from the other side of the hall – as if a legion of metal-footed soldiers was steadily marching towards the marines. Major Boyd gasped with surprise when he saw the approaching enemy – they looked the ancient knights that he had seen on pictures in encyclopedias. Their bodies were clad in metal armor, horned helms, and stout steel swords. Their faces were distorted by cruel grins of the dark pleasure of causing suffering. The voices erupted once again:

"Greet the Death Knights... and die screaming!"

Kyle raised the shotgun and pointed it at the unexpected enemies. He knew his shooting would be more efficient from close range, and he hoped the Major would be able to considerably reduce their numbers with one precise BFG shot.

"Major Boyd, they only have melee weapons. One shot from your little toy could wipe out nearly all of them."

"Agreed Harlan... just let them come a bit closer."

The marines were quite shocked to discover that the knights had something more than melee weapons – they performed strange movements with their swords, unleashing bolts of flaming energy. Fortunately, they were too far to do any harm to the two men. The bolts dispersed in several directions from the point of origin – an indeed dangerous weapon, as proved by the burned holes they left in the walls.

"Major, sir... we have to do something fast... these are not quite easy to dodge!"

"Clever bastards... here, take that!" the Major yelled.

The BFG hummed gently before it spewed forth the burning orb of plasma and anti-matter. It struck right into the center of the center of the group of advancing knights, instantly eradicating more than two thirds of their numbers. The corpses, with their armors half-melted, were thrown across the hall in all directions. The survivors immediately regrouped and retreated near the walls, moving through the shadows beneath the blackened windows. They were coming from two directions, approaching the marines with their deadly blades prepared to rend the juicy flesh of the intruders.

"I can take care for one of the two groups... but you will have to deal with the others," the Major hissed.

"No problem, sir... let them come, I have something for them."

The Major aimed at the shadow to the right and unleashed another orb of blazing destruction. The loud crash and the ceasing of the clanking from that direction was the indication of an accurate shot – by that time, however, the other group, from the left, were already preparing to descend upon Kyle. The Corporal saluted the first of the warriors with a blast from his sawed-off, which ripped off the whole front armor plate and sent the enemy towards the wall. He had just reloaded when he had to shoot once again to dispatch another attacker. Kyle had to fight in perfect synchrony – aim, shoot, reload, and repeat quickly. He jumped back as two attackers tried to stab him. One of them fell to the shotgun, the other was mauled by the Major's heavy BFG, used as a rather efficient clubbing device. The final knight unleashed another volley of projectiles, which damaged Kyle's helmet. He took it off quickly and gave one final shot, which sent the assailant into oblivion.

"This wasn't too difficult," Kyle uttered, still trying to catch his breath.

"Yes... and the BFG still has a good supply of energy in the cell... They make them better and better with each passing month."

"True, sir... but now... what do we do?"

The hall was completely quiet after the sudden attack – there was blood splattered over the floor and the walls, as well as a burned spot on the floor where the first BFG orb hit. The marines went a few steps forward and stopped near the center of the hall. Just then, the flames of the candles started to wane, as if suffocated by an invisible force. In the gloom, the silence was even more eerie. Kyle held still and stared in the twilight. He felt that there was something not quite right at work. The Major looked around nervously too – as if he had felt it too. It was not like the presence of the knights... there was something, tangibly evil and concealed. They could almost sense it. Just as Kyle wanted to ask the Major about the plan to proceed, he noticed something very subtle... like a movement of a shadow.

Without hesitation, he raised the shotgun and shot right into the empty space in front of his boots. His suit was instantly covered with bloodstains and _something _heavy fell on the floor dead. Kyle did not have to warn the Major – the experienced marine made a swift swing with the heavy BFG, which hit something else, stunning it long enough to afford Kyle another shot.

After they were killed, the creatures' invisibility started to fade away, revealing the features of two rather gruesome beasts. Their skin was pale, mouths filled with sharp teeth, and their arms... they ended not with hands or claws, but with what appeared to be sharpened sticks, excellent for tearing flesh or eviscerating a victim. And they were invisible – not like the blurring effect that demonic blur artifacts could achieve. Their whole bodies, except the eyes, were completely invisible. It was exactly the movement of the tiny eyes that Kyle had noticed.

"Good that you have such keen eyesight, Harlan... these fiends could have killed us real fast. In this gloom, I would not have noticed them."

"Yes... I guess I was lucky. Damn, what are these things? Such twisted bodies... these are not demons, I have never before seen such a race of creatures."

"These come from the Elder Worlds, human," the Gatekeeper's voice emerged, faint and somewhat distant, "They were enchanted with the power of a Ring of Shadows, which made them invisible... except for the eyes. Making the eyes invisible would destroy their ability to refract light, rendering the creature blind."

Kyle was startled for a second – he had forgotten about their demonic ally. Now that he had calmed down, he realized that the magi had probably brought some creatures from their ancient home domain. He definitely hoped he would not meet any more of these abominations. They had survived two attacks, but it still remained to be seen what this Guardian could be. He still had ammo, but he did not know how much would be needed. The Major took yet another look of the hall, which had become lit again. It was probably time to go on.

* * *

The marines finally reached the gates at the bottom of the hall. Beyond them was another hall, much shorter, but offering a sight that made both marines stop.

The hall opened into the void of outer space – beyond a certain line, the reality of the hall merged with a gaping hole, through which stars, galaxies and the infinite blackness of space could be seen – like a window. Both men felt fear before that sight – expecting to be sucked into vacuum and suffocated at any moment. But it just stayed there... like a dimensional anomaly, blocking the path.

"What in the world is that, Harlan? Have you seen anything like that before?"

"No, sir, I have no idea... It looks like a trap or an illusion to keep us away. It is hard to guess..." Kyle replied hesitantly.

The silent voice of the Gatekeeper appeared once again.

"Be very careful humans... so far you have done well, but now you will encounter the Guardian. You will be safe for now. But once you cross the red line..."

As the voice faded, Kyle noticed a red line drawn through the center of the room and pointed it to the Major. They were not sure what it was, but it was certain that it would unleash something. Something deadly.

The windows of that new room were clean and the two men advanced cautiously under the dim light of the Martian sky. The doors closed behind the marines, and a loud click announced that it was locked.

Major Boyd was not at all fond of being continuously locked in weird rooms filled with traps. He felt it was time to finish the job and go back to Io.

"So, Guardian," the Major uttered, "Come out, you overgrown pig with horns, or whatever you are! I am waiting."

As if in response, the sight of outer space in front of him started to twist and blur. The image itself started to shrink, revealing the backside of the hall. The dimensional anomaly shrunk even more, and its shape changed – it resembled something that looked like a humanoid figure – crowned with ominous-looking horns and two glowing spots that looked like eyes. Slowly, the visage of space started to disappear, replaced by the sight of a creature clad in a black robe. Within its hood, there was no face – the emptiness of space and its stars could still be seen where the head was supposed to be. It just stood, without moving, standing in the way towards what seemed to be the final door at the other end of the hall – a door made of glowing and translucent crystal.

Major Boyd and Corporal Harlan figured out that the creature would not attack unless the line was crossed. What worried them was that they had no idea what kind of attack that Guardian would use against them. There was only one way to find out...

With their weapons prepared and aimed, the two marines simultaneously crossed the red line. The creature responded with a blood-chilling shriek and raised its skeletal arms, twisting them in arcane gestures. What followed was something none of the humans had ever imagined.

Kyle fell to the floor, pressed by a sensation he had never felt before – it was as if he was being drained of all energy. His muscles ached, his vision blurred, and he felt sleepy. He focused on the situation, just as he did in times where fatigue threatened to overwhelm him in Hell. He raised the shotgun and emptied it into the creature. The pellets hit it without causing any visible damage. Damn!

The Major had fallen to his knees, fighting against the sudden weakness and drowsiness. Various thoughts raced through his head... including images from the past. As if the damn thing was trying to devour his memories too. It was draining both men's energy, sucking it into the endless void that swirled under the hood.

Kyle could barely find the strength to speak, as all of his joints felt stiff and petrified.

"Sir... it is desperate... overload it... give it an over... load..."

Despite the humming in his ears and the blurred thoughts, the Major heard and understood. He could see that even the energy supply of the BFG was drained away by the Guardian... still there was enough energy for what Kyle had in mind. But would he be able to do it precisely?

Mobilizing the last remnants of his strength, Major Boyd stood up, aimed the BFG at the opening in the hood, and pressed the trigger. He held it – the weapon charge was building up, drawing closer to the level where the weapon would overcharge and explode in his hands. His old soldier reflexes could not be drained away by any creature – in the precise moment, microseconds before the BFG would explode, he released the trigger. A projectile, constituting the cell pack's entire remaining energy supply, flew towards the Guardian.

What followed was a powerful blast that left both marines deafened. Scorching heat and unbearable green light bathed the two men and they fell unconscious on the floor.

When the Major awakened, he saw Kyle, sitting by the wall, smiling and whistling some old tune. The sense of being drained was gone, and so was a large portion of the floor where the Guardian stood. The desperate maneuver had succeeded. Most marines in the academy always said that it was impossible to launch the "ideal maximum power BFG shot"... but he had just done that.

Done it... at a price. Several blinking red lights on the BFG indicated that the cell pack was melted, the plasma cores were burned into ashes... it was not usable anymore... except maybe as a heavy club.

Kyle did not say anything. He just approached the Major and shook his hand – a sign of the deep respect that he was filled with after all he witnessed. They were ready to go beyond the last doors, as the Guardian had fallen.

As they approached the crystal gate, the chorus of the long dead Dark Magi's voices sounded one last time:

"You have succeeded, mortals, but what you achieved is not victory. The artifacts that lie beyond that door can only bring pain and sorrow to you and your kind. You are already doomed... for he who bends reality to his whim will betray you in the end."

The marines had had enough threats for one day. They disregarded the warning and pushed the doors. Beyond them, the circular chamber was small but its ceiling was very high. Enormous windows took up most of the walls, and the walls were covered with black marble. In the chamber's center stood a small triangular table, made from black wood that looked like ebony. On the table rested the artifacts that the marines had come to claim – three tomes. One had covers of copper, another had covers of lead, and the third had covers of iron. It could be felt that those tomes were supernatural and contained tremendous power. Something dark and cold swirled around them, creating the feeling of a dark presence.

These were the Essences of Death. Kyle stepped forth and claimed them.


	23. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER XXII: THE FINAL TASK**

* * *

_I had longed for that meeting for a long time and finally you came to me, alone and determined as I was._

The covers of the tomes were decorated with sophisticated drawings that somehow created the illusion of movement when Kyle looked at them under different angles. All three books were kept closed by thin metallic locks. They looked very fragile, but the marine discovered that he could not move them, no matter how much force he applied. Then he remembered that opening them would mean instant death and stopped tampering with the locks. Corporal Harlan sighed – for the last months he had to deal with more supernatural artifacts and creatures than was healthy for the average human being. Once again, he was grateful that he had not gone insane after the very first hours of terror in the overrun facility on Phobos. After this experience, even Hell itself could not really impress him, let alone alien cathedrals or machine gun wielding undead.

Mild crackling filled the air seconds before a portal appeared near the two men. The Gatekeeper was finally inviting them to return. Beyond the portal, the marines found themselves in the familiar black hall. It seemed that the demon had visited the Plutonia research facility once again – there were more weapons and ammo backpacks by the wall. The Ice Revenant was gone and the marines had the feeling that the Gatekeeper would not give any explanations about his absence.

"I am impressed, humans. You survived the perils of a place that even I would hesitate to enter. And you have claimed the prize... Give them to me."

Kyle stepped forward and handed the three tomes to the clawed hands of the demon. He took them and spent a whole minute staring at them, caressing their covers gently, just as a man would do after finding something valuable that was lost long ago. For a very short moment, an unusual smile ran through the demonic face, yet neither of the two men noticed it.

Major Boyd and Corporal Harlan had already taken off their suits. Still indulged in his own thoughts, the demon made a distracted gesture towards the weapons and ammo, which hinted that they should pick them up. The Major was quite pleased to discover a shiny new plasma gun and a rocket launcher, in addition to a good amount of cells, rockets, and shells for the Corporal's sawed-off shotgun. With the backpacks, they could carry all this stuff to the surface and give Dr. Stalker's forces a very hard time. Of course, he would reserve some of the firepower for the doctor's handsome head. The plasma gun was given to the Corporal, while the Major decided he would take the rockets to deliver some heat to the battle. The only thing they still needed was targets to shoot at.

The Gatekeeper came out of his strange stupor and turned to the already armed marines.

"These weapons, humans, are only a part of the help I can give you. I will give you three more things. The first you will find soon after you enter the base – in a medical center that is nearby. As for the other two, they will step in when I choose the right time. I believe you can trust my intuition for strategy," he ended with an ironic tone.

Kyle was sure the demon was a skilled tactician. He only hoped the Gatekeeper would not overestimate their capabilities and leave them on their own in an overheated combat situation.

"Now... you will enter the facility through the secret tunnel that Stalker used to insert his creations to test them. He knows the tunnel has collapsed, but he does not know that I can get you beyond the rocky blockade. His ally does not know much about Hell's secrets, and could not inform him about my abilities. I have always known that ignorance is the path to defeat... Once inside, you will make decisions on your own. In two critical moments, you will receive my aid. Whatever happens, you must not allow Stalker to take the red crate through the portal. Within that crate is an artifact crucial to the survival of your race. Should this item fall into the clutches of the Makron..."

The demon frowned and shuddered, just as if he felt intense cold.

"What is this artifact?" Major Boyd asked, "What is so important about it?"

"You will find out if you capture it before it is too late. Suffice it to say, this artifact was the reason that brought Stalker to Io. Only here he was far enough from Earth or Mars in order to prepare this whole operation. And then, he only needed to take control over the base – that would provide him with enough time to set up a gate to the distant world of Stroggos and escape with the artifact. Clean and simple, he would doom your entire race with a single movement of his hand – the movement when he hands over the item to his dark partner."

"The whole picture seems quite clearer now," Kyle said, "We will do our best on this mission... we will see what we will do afterwards."

The Gatekeeper nodded and made a swift movement with his hand. In the other side of the room, a small Gate opened, large just enough for a marine to squeeze through.

"It will not be detected... Stalker utilizes technology such as you have never seen before. It allows him to detect greater gates in the moon's vicinity, as well as track the destinations of these Gates. Should he escape through a portal, you could try to use his own technology to track him down. Of course, following him to Stroggos would be suicide, as you will have no chance of overpowering the forces that will wait for you beyond."

The demon noticed Kyle's grimace while he listened.

"What is it, human? You seem disturbed... just as if you know what creatures I talk about. Don't be afraid to share."

Kyle hesitated for a while. He knew the demon could give him more information about that new threat, still he had his doubts and suspicions.

"Yes, I saw one of them... I saw it in a vision in that cathedral."

"The Circle of Truth has shown you a fragment of the future? Where did you see that creature? Dis you feel like that moment was distant in time?" the Gatekeeper's glowing eyes narrowed.

"It felt as if it would happen soon... like within a year or two. I can't really tell. And about the location... it looked like Hell, though it was somehow different. There was a great excavation of some sort."

The Gatekeeper shivered for a few seconds. The demon was apparently worried about something.

"If what you speak is true, then the storm is closer than I thought. The danger that hangs upon us is enormous – you cannot afford to make any mistakes. Now go – capture the artifact and kill Stalker, if possible."

The two men stepped towards the Gate, once again prepared for an intense battle. Even they could feel that many things depended on the outcome of this final task. Beyond the frame of the portal, the marines could see blackness, which waited for them to shred it with their flashlights. Having passed through the Gate, it closed behind them immediately. Two rays of light erupted and lit a stone tunnel, which had one end blocked by fallen rocks, and a heavy metal door that blocked the other. Between these two ends was an irregular opening in the wall, which continued into a tunnel that appeared to have been drilled by human equipment. That was the entry point that Simon Stalker had used. It was not yet clear where exactly the tunnel went... For more than fifteen minutes, the two men made their way cautiously up the tunnel. Major Boyd considered that it was safe to whisper an important question.

"Corporal, what are these Strogg that you and the demon talked about? Do you think we might encounter them?"

"Sir, they look like cyborgs but... not like the simple cybronic constructs that the UAC experimented with. The so-called Strogg look like they were born from the nightmares of a deranged cybernetics engineer. They appear well armored and quite dangerous. I seriously hope we will not have to encounter any of them."

"Fine... I will keep this in mind... Corporal, looks like the tunnel's end is near. Turn your flashlight off."

The two rays of light faded away, and the dim glow from the tunnel's exit was better visible. Cautious and expecting an imminent attack, the marines sneaked out of the hole and examined their surroundings. Major Boyd recognized the place – a rarely used electronics laboratory. Some of the gadgets in it could be useful. Something more important was the computer terminal that the Major could use to check the status of the base. A few clicks later, the terminal displayed a report – there were no fires or major damages to critical systems and structures. There were only minor issues that required the intervention of professional repair teams. The power distribution scheme was changed – all unused base sectors were shut down, and the other were put on lower power usage mode. At the same time, Io Base Alpha's reactor worked on full capacity. All this power was redirected and focused into one of the unfinished dimensional research laboratories. The Major smiled – they had just found out Dr. Stalker's exact location – portal research lab DCR3X0028-02. There were enough routes to reach it in time.

A few more clicks displayed the images from the nearby security cameras. Everything seemed clear and abandoned... there was a marine in the infirmary of the sector, and it could not be determined if he was dead or just sleeping. And in the northern lobby, there was one of Dr. Stalker's mutants – standing still, with its gaze fixed at the eastern exit. That marine was probably the aid the Gatekeeper referred to, and the mutant could be surprised from behind and easily dispatched.

While the Major examined the terminal, Kyle had already finished searching through the lockers of the electronics lab. Among the useful things he found were a portable long-range motion detector, armor repair kit, two helmets with integrated high-tech equipment, and one of the experimental multiple-use automated stimpacks. These would be very useful, if only they could figure out exactly what equipment and abilities the helmets had.

The marines quietly left the lab and moved slowly towards the northern lobby where the exit to the monorail was. To the left, Kyle spotted the infirmary door and gave the Major a sign. The door slid open without a noise and Kyle saw the unknown marine lying on the couch. The slight movement of his chest was the relieving sign that he was only sleeping. That changed quickly as the marine jumped suddenly and aimed something quite big at the intruders. He apparently recognized them as marines, but still stood with his weapon, hesitating what to do. Kyle examined the young private carefully – he had a chaingun in hands, a few grenades on the belt, and an expression of disturbance and panic. His face looked very familiar... It took Kyle one more moment to remember exactly who the marine was.

"Private Shade Boaventura... lower your weapon, please. It is I, Corporal Harlan... I led the expedition into the crypts. Behind me is your commanding officer – Major Boyd. Lower the gun and calm down." Kyle whispered.

The private had recovered from his wound that he had received in his encounter with the hordes of Hell Knights. He slowly put the chaingun on a table and whispered:

"Sorry sir, at first I thought it was them... they walked through this sector... I... I don't know what happened with the others... they were taken away... then these things retreated... on the monitor, I saw they left one of them in the lobby... and... and... I must have fallen asleep afterwards, I was so tired. I'm glad David left me that chaingun... I don't know what happened to him."

"That is okay, soldier," Major Boyd replied, "We could use an extra hand and the chaingun that it can carry. We need to move out quickly, I hope you feel prepared to kick some abomination butt. And in case you don't know... Doctor Stalker is behind this whole mess."

"Doctor Creep? Ummm, well, that is how many people called him. Not only marines, but the scientists and the maintenance personnel too. I can't say it was unexpected... well, I suggest we should eliminate him... sir?"

"That is correct, private. Still, our primary priority would be to prevent him from opening a dimensional Gateway."

"A portal? Wouldn't that attract them? The demons, I mean... I have not fought in the Great War but... I have seen the tapes... The demons, they are terrible, they might come through the gate!" the private's eyes were widened with horror.

"Calm down, marine," Kyle intervened, "This portal would not attract anything. But, he may use it to escape, and this is what we do not wish to happen. Is that clear, private?"

"Yes, sir. I will do my best to aid you."

The small group slipped out of the medical center after they loaded a backpack with medical supplies and gave it to the young private. According to the security cameras, the mutant in the lobby was looking towards the east, so they could sneak from behind and blow up the abomination's head. They moved slowly down the corridor. On both sides, there were doors that led to messy personnel offices. Several bloodstains on the walls were the only sign of the fate of those who tried to resist the mutants' coming. Many of the systems were shut down, as more than sixty per cent of all power on the base was redirected to Stalker's portal. Kyle assumed that more power would make his Gate more stable and able to resist the disruption that would be caused by the passage of the mysterious artifact. The Corporal reasoned that destabilizing the power supply could be a way to halt the doctor's plan.

The lobby's door was right in front of them. Eager to prove his worth to his superiors, Private Boaventura step forth and gave the other marines a sign that he would go in first. The Major replied with a sign for the young soldier to be quiet. Shade stepped through the door, chaingun ready, and prepared to score his first kill for the operation. He turned to the right... and stood face to face with the burning red gaze of the undead mutant.

The gun was aimed right for the marine's chest, the creature's arm was raised and ready to trigger the first bullet that would have most probably been lethal. The private could not even shout or duck as he was stunned by the sudden change of situation. It was Corporal Harlan's quick reaction that saved him – the double-barreled shotgun was fired, without enough time for aiming. Luckily, the stream of pellets found the creature's head and turned it into a cloud of dead flesh and purple blood. The body collapsed to the floor and the lobby was once again quiet.

"What, what... why?" Shade uttered, "It was facing the door, and we saw it on the screen... how? Why did it..."

The Private was interrupted by a familiar harsh voice that erupted from the loudspeakers of the colony's announcement system.

"It's like someone warned the mutant, isn't it? So, Major Boyd and Corporal Harlan return after their shameful escape. And they've brought a disoriented kid to serve as their bodyguard. Funny... I definitely needed some entertainment. I see you are in the sector's north lobby. Good... if you barricade the doors you might survive for a few additional minutes. I am curious to see just how long you can fight with the supply of ammo that you have. So long... and send my regards to the Abyss."

Silence. Major Boyd intended to say something not particularly polite about Simon Stalker, when a beeping sound from the motion detector made them jump in place.

"Oh my..." was the only thing Kyle could say when he looked at the device's display. Normally, it displayed sources of movement as glowing dots. What Kyle saw was a solid white mass that came closer to their position like a tidal wave. There was no telling how many of them were there.

"People, we are in serious trouble," he yelled to the Private and the Major, "Try to push these benches to block the door and use that one as a cover to duck behind. They are coming!"


	24. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER XXIII: ASSAULT OF THE ABOMINATIONS**

* * *

_When I first saw him, I immediately realized that he was not human._

He sat on the floor of the underground chamber, looking at several observation orbs that sparkled with arcane energies. The Gatekeeper saw the approaching wave of undead and calculated the exact moment for the support to be sent in. On one side, there was a slightly larger orb, which showed a small room where a red crate rested. The temptation for the demon to go and claim it was great, yet he still felt weakened after being killed and resurrected. The humans should be able to handle it...

* * *

Kyle used to soldering torch from the armor repair kit to seal the lobby front door. This had to delay them until they could assume good positions and prepare to defend against the overwhelming horde of undead. Private Boaventura had aimed the chaingun at the door, slightly nervous about the looming aspect of being shot dead. Major Boyd hoped he could get a clear shot and send a rocket towards the core of the group of mutants, blowing them into juicy pieces. The experienced marine was quite angered about the havoc that the abominations had caused within the base – rockets were the only punishment he saw fit for them.

Corporal Harlan stepped away from the sealed door and assumed his position behind the bench, plasma rifle ready to shoot at the first thing to show up from that direction. Just then, he heard a familiar whisper in his head:

"Human, my support is on the way... but for some time you will be on your own. Make sure you keep your distance from the northern wall!"

Their position was next to the southern wall, so they had to be safe there. Kyle did not know how good the undead's aim was, but he prayed they would not try to aim for their exposed heads. He also hoped the UAC had not tried to save on colony funding by making benches from weak metal alloys.

"Damn, so far the UAC have only been good at causing global trouble," he thought. For a thousandth or millionth time, he asked himself why it was him that had to be so deeply involved in all this madness...

The steps could be heard clearly – they marched with the precision of machines, approaching the door with the unrelenting determination of a sand storm on Mars. The motion detector beeped like mad and showed that the wave had surrounded their position, and the ring of death was slowly closing in on them. The formation hinted that they would attack from the direction of the sealed door, just as Kyle predicted. He tried to calm himself with the thought that a lonely man with primitive firearms had been able to defeat these creatures centuries ago. It definitely had to be possible to push them back.

The heavy steps of many feet became thunderous and surrounded the three marines from all directions. It stopped right in front of the door, and for a few seconds there was deathly silence. What followed was a deafening explosion that blew away the door and a large section of the walls around it. Through the strong smell of the explosive that UAC geologists used and the thick smoke, the familiar figures of the abominations rushed into the room, looking for their breathing victims. Major Boyd gave out a blood-chilling scream and sent a rocket right into the group that stormed the room. The mutants' bodies flew in all direction, and a separated arm, still holding a knife, fell right next to the marines, still moving and trying to stab them. Shade kicked it away and opened fire with the chaingun, mowing down the advancing waves of humanoid killers. The walls were bathed in purple blood, large puddles of it covered the floor. The noise of the battle muffled the howl of the alarms and the warnings of the automatic environment systems.

Having finished the ammo belt, Shade ducked under the battered bench and shouted:

"I have to reload. Cover me!"

That was exactly what Kyle waited for – his plasma gun glowed like a small star and melted the several undead who had already reached the center of the room. The shots of the creatures drilled into the metal of their cover, weakening it with every passing fraction of a second. Two more rockets from the major had cleared some space around the entrance, which was very quickly filled with more and more advancing mutated humanoids. A vile stench filled the room – the smell of decomposing flesh, mixed with the irritating odor of unknown chemical substances.

"Ok, reloaded, clear these freaks by the left side, they keep shooting towards me," Shade yelled. He raised the chaingun and unleashed another volley of hot lead upon the seemingly endless hordes. Another wall was torn down by an explosion, and now the invaders stormed from two locations. Kyle's plasma rifle fried the first advancing waves, clearing the view enough for the three men to see that more and more of the undead came from corridors, various rooms, common halls, and even through larger ventilation ducts. Major Boyd reasoned to send his rockets towards those ducts, so that the explosion would collapse and seal them.

The gruesome music of the chaingun suddenly ceased. The acrid smoke that rose from it was something every marine feared.

"Overheated! Now we really are screwed," Shade uttered, "I will take the shotgun and take out those that come close. Try to hold them back with plasma and rockets... and pray there aren't many more."

Just as he said that, more wall sections were torn down, and the sight that was revealed was a clear sign that there were many more. Kyle could not even try to imagine how many mutants Stalker had produced for the little time that he had. The creatures' numbers were more than their ammo reserves could handle. Just as the Corporal felt he was about to lose hope of salvation, he heard the voice of the Gatekeeper in his head once again:

"It is time."

The north wall of the lobby was instantly torn apart by a powerful explosion, and a group of six Arachnotrons unleashed a hurricane of hot plasma against the advancing legions of undead mutants. The Corporal gave Shade a strong tap on the shoulder and made him a sign to duck and not to shoot towards the cybernetic demons that had just appeared as if out of thin air. Kyle was smiling – the Gatekeeper had sent them exactly what they needed. At the same time, he was very nervous and felt the desire to take cover and destroy the demons who had hunted him among his ruined hometown on Earth... The mutants stopped and tried to open fire against the new threat, but that was their mistake as they were not familiar with the capabilities of Arachnotron armor. A steady shower of plasma mowed them down, leaving only charred remains in its wake. The spideresque terrors split into several directions, moving to chase the already retreating last remains of Dr. Stalker's undead army. The sound of the metallic feet moved further away, and weary silence hang in the devastated lobby. Private Boaventura rose from behind the bench that looked as if it was chewed and spat out by an enraged colossus. He looked in the smoke-dimmed distance where the Arachnotrons were crushing the last of the dreaded undead.

"I guess I am expected to forget about what just happened and never talk about it," he said.

"Exactly, Private. If you prove trustworthy we might explain a couple of things to you," the Major said with a beaming smile, "Now, reload the chaingun and prepare it – it should be cool by now. We will probably need it again very soon..."

The Major was interrupted by a low beeping sound. Kyle looked at the motion detector, where two more dots had appeared. They moved slower than the mutants, and seemed to carefully choose their path, trying to approach the demolished sector from two different directions.

"What the Hell is that... some of our boys maybe? The detector seems to recognize them as mechanical units, as if they have a lot of metal in their composition."

"Sir, you'd better step back... I have a bad feeling about this," Kyle whispered.

The unknown intruders were close, and the marines could hear their steps – slow, heavy, and metallic in sound. The Major gave a sign, and the marines split towards the surrounding corridors, trying to surprise the creatures from behind.

Kyle walked very slowly down a darkish corridor, stepping into a gruesome mixture of purple blood and pale pieces of torn flesh. It was completely quiet, even the noise of the Arachnotrons had faded away. At the end of the corridor was a large common hall where personnel gathered in the evening to talk or play games. It was well lit and he preferred it to the gloomy tunnel he was in... Just a few more meters to the door... slowly, quietly, and cautiously.

Double-barreled shotgun in hands, he walked slowly into the hall and examined it – nothing could be seen. What was worrying was the fact that the sound of the metallic steps had ceased. Whatever and wherever the creatures were – they were waiting patiently for their prey to come. Right next to Kyle was a door to a restroom... he only needed ten seconds to wash his face, and he felt that he really needed that... His hand reached for the button to open the door...

And it opened before he could press it. Within its frame, the marine beheld an abomination. A deformed humanoid head mounted on a metallic cybernetic body pierced him with its cruel gaze. On the shoulders was the red insignia, which he had come to recognize as the symbol of the Strogg. As if in a dream, Kyle watched the creature raise its right arm – it opened into what looked like a machine gun. Harlan's space marine instincts took over, he jumped back and rolled over the floor, as a spray of bullets blew a few chairs into piles of debris. Kyle had very little time to roll over once again and raise the shotgun.

The creature walked out of its hiding place, and came right towards the marine, its arm still opened and prepared to unleash another spray of bullets, which could be fatal. Just then, the marine emptied both barrels of the shotgun into the creature's chest. The cyborg was pushed backwards by the blast, and seemed to be confused and lose its balance for a few seconds. They were enough – never before in his life had Kyle reloaded a sawed-off so quickly. The second blast from the shotgun blew away the creature's head. The metal-clad body fell with a heavy clank to the floor, thick blood forming a growing puddle on the floor. Still weary after this shocking encounter, Kyle turned in the direction of the corridors and shouted:

"Major Boyd, Shade – look out!"

The Major heard the yell and stopped in the middle of the storage room that he was currently in. Before he could think about what the cause of distress could be, _something _walked from behind a crate. Nicholas Boyd found himself staring at something that he believed existed only in old science-fiction movies. He immediately ran towards the entrance, noticing that the thing raised its left arm, the construction of which looked very familiar. The Major's fears were proven true when a grenade flew out of the contraption, bowing a stack of boxes into burning pieces, sending a shower of damaged computer parts, maintenance equipment and other objects towards the marine. Another grenade blew a smoldering crater in the floor close to the Major, hidden behind a crate, who felt the heat of the explosion perilously close. He only had a rocket launcher – it would be suicide to use it in the cramped space of the storeroom. There was only one thing to do...

He threw a box of tools in one direction, hoping that it would distract the thing. He jumped up and ran towards e door. Behind him, he noticed that the thing did indeed launch a grenade towards the noisy moving object, but quickly turned towards the running human. _Its right arm opened._

The door was very close. To the great relief of the Major, Private Boaventura was already there with a ready plasma gun. The officer quickly fell down to the floor and shouted:

"Shoot, Private, aim for that thing over there!"

Shade murmured something to himself and unleashed a stream of plasma towards the Strogg. The cyborg was hit square in the chest and fell on its knees, sparks coming out of the hole that revealed burnt flesh and damaged machine components. Despite the grievous wound, it still refused to die – in fact, it tried to stand up and continue the fight.

"Have a nice day, cutie," the Major said with the grin that he used to scare the young marine recruits. A well-aimed rocket blew the creature into pieces, which mixed with the piles of burning debris from the blown up crates.

When Kyle arrived, he only needed one look at the situation to realize that the battle was over.

"Good work guys... I took care of the other one in the common hall. In his current condition, he will not bother us anymore. I think we have completely obliterated Stalker's private army, and the base is for now _mostly_ secure. Now, let us take the monorail and go get the Stalker himself."

Shade gently tapped on the chaingun.

"Always ready, sir. Lead the way."

* * *

Deep in his lair, the Gatekeeper watched as the three humans survived the encounter with the Strogg and boarded the monorail, ready to head towards the laboratory where the primitive human Gate stood. The red crate with the artifact was close... he could feel the seducing power of what was hidden in it.

The demon smiled – he already had the seven essences in his possession, only one element missed for a portal to the Elder Worlds to be opened. The humans knew that... but what they did not know, was the fact that the missing artifact was in the red crate.


	25. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER XXIV: WRATH OF THE STALKER**

* * *

_...a Void Sphere creates emptiness and nothingness. When activated, it instantly corrupts and completely decomposes the very fabric of Existence, Time, and Space..._

"Make haste, humans. According to your time-measuring system, you have less than twenty minutes to stop Stalker before he opens the Gateway. If he succeeds, he will be able to summon reinforcements from Stroggos and they will decimate you. You _must _not fail!"

Kyle was starting to feel that leading desperate battles against otherworldly enemies was becoming his routine in life... It was as if the Universe was punishing him for the innumerable prayers for something to happen during the boring hours on duty at Mars City. After just a few minutes, he would face Doctor Stalker once again, and he had no idea what the scientist had in store for them.

The monorail car slowed down and stopped near the unfinished dimensional research installation. It was perfectly quiet – the only sign of trouble was the dead body of a marine, which lay near the entrance to the auxiliary hangar. The three marines had already reloaded their weapons and outfitted themselves with blue combat armor vests. Kyle had put on his old helmet, which had accompanied him since the invasion on Phobos. The scratches from his first two Barons of Hell at the Phobos Anomaly... the bloodstain from the first Cyberdemon at the Tower of Babel... all these gave him a feeling of security, just like a collection of prized trophies would. He had crawled through the depths of Hell twice, and he would definitely not allow a sick scientist to dictate the rules of his game!

They entered the hangar quietly and examined it. The large hall was completely empty – there were several puddles of blood on the floor and traces of small explosions near the wall. They were ready to cross the empty space and continue their search into the laboratory, when the whisper of the Gatekeeper interrupted them.

"Be warned – I sense a threat such as you have not encountered yet. It is very close. My last aid for you will arrive soon to tip the scales in your favor..."

Kyle turned to the other two men:

"Careful, guys... we are about to face an unpleasant surprise. Keep your fingers on the triggers. The time has come..."

Major Boyd just nodded and headed for the center for the room, the other two marines followed closely. The situation reminded them of the occasion when they first encountered the mutants... could Simon Stalker use the same trick again? It was without any doubt that the mutants were most dangerous in wide spacious areas. Corporal Harlan could not shake away the thought that Stalker could have produced more of the creatures using corpses of colonists killed during his small invasion...

A slight noise indicated that a door at the other side of the hangar had opened. A familiar face appeared on one of the upper platforms – Dr. Stalker looked down at the three marines and grinned sadistically.

"So, you actually managed to find the way, soldier boys? I was starting to get worried..."

"I am saddened to see that your mental status is just as hopeless as the last time we met, Doctor Creep," Major Boyd replied, "Why don't you come down here so that we can shoot you right now, sweetie?"

"Ah, Nicholas Boyd – proud and arrogant as always. And the inimitable Kyle Harlan – the grand savior of humanity, who, strangely enough, has become the best friend of a high-ranking demon. And a an obviously frightened Private who literally begs to be put out of his misery. No wonder the human race is in such a state..."

"Enough of this drivel, Stalker!" Kyle snapped, "Cease any operations you are currently performing, and surrender. I will personally make sure you are delivered to justice alive. Your so-called army is no more. It is over."

"It is not over unless I say it is over!" Stalker barked, "Within the journals of the brilliant Dr. Schabbs was a section I was only able to decode today. Within them was the knowledge of the greatest jewel in the crown of that amazing scientist. The ultimate killing machine created by man... the one he named Über Mutant..."

Numerous doors opened simultaneously, allowing a group of terrible beings into the hangar. Private Boaventura felt sick when he saw them... Standing two meters tall, comprised of several bodies stitched together, four arms, cleavers held by the pale fingers... and modified chainguns mounted in their chests. There were about twenty or maybe thirty of them... Kyle could still not reason how Stalker found so many corpses in order to create such an army.

"My mentor and ally was kind enough to supply me with usable flesh," Stalker added, "And now this flesh, reborn, shall feast on yours!"

The doctor turned around and exited the room. The creatures turned towards the three marines as one. More than twenty chainguns were prepared to shoot at them any moment. There was no place to hide within the empty hangar. They would not be able to reach an exit before being hit by the hail of bullets. As the situation seemed desperate, Kyle could only hope that their demonic ally would do something.

"I hear you, marine. Your support is here. I would advise you to fight – perhaps he will not be able to handle the undead on his own... and try not to get in his way."

Following these words, a slight tremor made the creatures simultaneously turn their heads towards one of the big cargo gates. A mere second afterwards, the huge reinforced gate was torn into pieces by something that walked right through it. Kyle stood as hypnotized as an enormous Cyberdemon rushed into the room. He came to his senses when an explosion blew away two of the undead monstrosities. He yelled for the other two marines to open fire and ducked to the floor.

One of the creatures was crushed in the wall, kicked by the Cyberdemon's massive metal leg. All the others focused their fire on him, realizing just how quickly the enraged demon could annihilate them. Roaring with pain, the colossus released a barrage of rockets, which sent fleshy chunks flying in all directions. Another of the Über Mutants was mercilessly kicked across the room. Their purple blood mixed with the puddles left from the injured demon. With the marines' efforts, there were only about five of them left.

The Cyberdemon, bleeding from thousands of bullet wounds, fell to his knees, apparently unable to carry on with the battle. When the mutants turned towards the marines, the only thing they could see was the Major's rocket, which landed in the middle of their group. One explosion, and the hangar was quiet once again. The Cyberdemon let out a heavy sigh and collapsed on the floor.

"Leave him alone... he is still alive and only needs some time to recover. Now move, you have very little time left. Stalker must be stopped before he delivers the Makron his prize."

Major Boyd rose, cleaned the dust from his combat uniform, and said with an icy tone:

"Ok, marines. Let's finish this. Stalker waits for us in the laboratory. His mad schemes end now... Corporal Harlan, maybe you will reconsider keeping him alive."

They got up and headed towards the door. Trudging through the remains of the undead abominations, they felt nearly invincible, having survived unimaginable perils and ordeals. Behind the door at the bottom of the corridor awaited their ultimate enemy.

The doors slid open without a noise, revealing one of the nearly finished test grounds. In a cleared central space, among all the crates and terminals stood a construction that Kyle recognized. A dimensional gate, UAC Prototype H3X-A, the same that was used at the Deimos Anomaly. Next to the Gate were a few devices the marines had never seen, and a massive red crate, locked with reinforced mag-lock seals. Next to one wall were several dead bodies of scientists – apparently Stalker had decided to get rid of them after the Gate was constructed and adjusted. The screens nearby showed that the static field projection was nearly complete and the Gate would be activated at any moment – the coordinates for the destination were encrypted and could not be seen.

The silence was suddenly broken by the sound of an alarm. The lights flickered for a second, and the metallic voice of the emergency announcement system echoed through the empty halls:

"Critical environment systems running under minimal safe levels. Ninety per cent of primary reactor power redirected, destination: test Gate one."

The message was repeated once again, amid strange sounds that came from the direction of the Gate. Sparks ran across its surface, but it would still not activate. Blood-chilling laughter echoed through the laboratory, and one of the dark corners was lit by several spotlights. There, sitting in a chair, Doctor Stalker laughed, looking at the three marines with the expression of a man who is absolutely convinced in his imminent victory.

"You are late, gentlemen, there is really nothing you can do to stop me."

Stalker stood up and slowly walked to the Gate. He pointed to the strange devices next to it.

"The UAC could never see and appreciate my talent and potential! They were blind fools who only believed in their own profits and social influence. Here you see the culmination of years of hard work. They never noticed me, never recognized my genius, never even thought to check how my projects go. They mocked me for my ideas... but here you see these projects brought to fruition. The Reality Stream Converter, which can track the destination of any Gate after someone has passed through it. They mocked me, but here it stands today – real and fully operational! And the slipgate – better and faster than any teleporter, but still very unstable and in need of refinement. It alone could go anywhere... even beyond the Shield... you know what I am talking about, don't you?" Stalker was looking straight at Kyle.

"They were fools..." Stalker continued, "But there was another who would unite with me, and appreciate everything I could do. The wrath of Stroggos is about to be unleashed unto you, marines! Within this red crate is the key to the most valued possession of the defeated Lord of Hell. It is ours now, together with the power to claim the greatest power in this Universe!"

Another alarm sounded and the marines raised their weapons.

"Shut down all systems from e4rp through 56xz0... Balancing magnetic field... Gateway opening... gateway opening." the metallic voice announced.

Loud cracking sounds and howls heralded the opening of the portal. Dim light sipped through the raging vortex, as the rift that connected two worlds expanded and assumed a stable form within the frame of the device. Doctor Stalker smiled and spoke with a patronizing tone:

"You, marines, dared attempt to fly as high as I can... but there are many fearsome things prowling above the clouds. Small and harmless birds and bugs... and big nasty things like this fine specimen of a Strogg Hornet!"

Following his words, blue sparks erupted from the Gate and something enormous passed through it. The marines watched in terror as an enormous flying abomination entered the room. Its twisted form was outfitted with enough weapons to contend with a battleship. It rose higher in the air, producing sounds that, the way they sounded, could be either mocking laughter or groans of intense agony. Its body was covered with strong armor, even though its horrific visage alone was more than enough to paralyze any potential attacker. While the marines still stood staring at it, a section of its body moved. Kyle felt very cold when he realized what was going to happen...

"Take cover!"

Several rockets were simultaneously launched towards their position. The explosion that followed left the marines deafened and disoriented. Staying low, they started moving along the line of crates that offered some protection. Not impressed by their quick maneuver, the monstrosity revealed its two chainguns and rained hot lead upon their heads. Kyle crawled towards a massive terminal that could offer better protection, praying that the creature had a poor aim at long range.

The three men gathered behind the terminal, followed by the deadly music of raining bullets, and the maddening laughter of Dr. Stalker. The scientist did not pass through the portal yet, waiting to see the death of the three marines – a sight that would ensure his satisfaction for many years to come.

"I guess we are really done for," Shade gasped, "Look at the armor of that thing... and its firing rate is impossible!"

Without interrupting its barrage, the Hornet, as Stalker referred to it, moved closer to their position. It was a matter of one minute to reach a spot, from which the humans could not be able to escape or hide. Then, they would perish for sure.

Major Boyd could not rise and shoot, as he was pinned down by the deadly hail. Shade was also unable to move in any way, and Corporal Harlan was the only one who could think of something and do it before their last twenty seconds of life ran out.

Kyle feverishly tried to think of something that could get them out of the situation. They were alone – the Gatekeeper had given them everything he could, and he could not rely on the demon anymore. It was time for him to solve the problem using his own human capabilities. If only he had a BFG...

The shadow of the flying Strogg came closer. Corporal Harlan suddenly felt weak and drained of all strength and will – had Destiny's favor finally turned away from him? It was in that moment that he noticed the unusual heat that he felt on his back... as if his backpack was on fire!

He turned around and saw that the old trusty pack was fine, but it was unusually warmed up and a low hum could be heard from inside. He opened it and blinked against the shine that erupted from within. The Void Sphere, the one that had accompanied him since he took it from the Temple of Darkness on Earth, was now glowing faintly. It was active once again! Kyle quickly reasoned what had happened – it was somehow deactivated when the Gatekeeper's portal exploded... and now, the opening of Stalker's Gate had somehow rekindled the Sphere's power. Kyle felt that all he had to do was throw it hard enough... and it could be broken to unleash the power stored within.

All the anger, frustration, and irritation of the past few days rose in Harlan's soul like a burning tide. With a battle roar of fury, such as the mythical ancient barbaric warriors gave out, he jumped up and raised his arm, showing his prize to his enemy. When Stalker saw the Void Sphere he froze in place, and his laughter ceased. _He recognized the artifact._

"No!"

Kyle threw the warm orb with his full strength, aiming for the Gate. Simon Stalker hesitated only for a second – it appeared that the artifact in the red crate had suddenly become less important than his survival. A mere second before the orb hit the floor, Stalker jumped forth and disappeared into the Gate. What followed was something none of the three marines had even dreamed about.

The orb broke, and from its depth came a sphere of absolute blackness. Kyle was instantly pushed by a force that could only be compared to being in a spaceship with a hull breach, with the air escaping into the cold void of space, sucking all objects with it... Kyle and his companions grabbed the solid terminal desperately, trying to resist the terrible force that was pulling them towards the growing black sphere. All of the heavy crates flew like feathers and were swallowed by the raging void. The Hornet was pulled down and sent screaming into the all-devouring emptiness.

For Harlan, it seemed that seconds became as long as years – the Sphere was consuming not only space, but also time, slowing down his thoughts, creating the ghastly feeling of losing grip on reality, as it was consumed by the ancient artifact. He could still see his comrades holding desperately to the metal edge...

"Hold on just a little more, guys... It should end soon," Harlan thought.

Through his blurred vision, he saw that the black orb had grown so much that it was standing within half a meter from him. After a few seconds, it could devour him, just as it happened with the nightmarish Strogg.

It all ended suddenly. The orb simply vanished, the howling wind calmed down, various objects fell to the floor after their chaotic flight was interrupted. The central area of the lab was completely cleared – the Gate and all crates and equipment were gone, having vanished without a trace. Only the red crate was in its place – untouched and not damaged at all. It had not even moved a single millimeter away from its position – whatever artifact was kept inside, it could resist the power of a Void Sphere! Still, the seals were gone, and the container could now be opened with ease. Very close to the "invincible" crate was a medium-sized crater – the only marker of the place where the sphere was activated.

Strangely, Dr. Stalker's two machines had also survived the small disaster that erupted in the lab – they were pushed toward the back end of the room... that could only mean they contained elements such as science did not yet know. Private Boaventura was still standing still, looking at the devastated room. It was amazing to him how the whole Gate and everything else was gone... he had never thought he would witness such things in his military career. Major Boyd looked around with renewed fervor.

"So, Harlan, Boaventura... I see you are fine. What happened to Simon Stalker? Is he dead?"

"No, sir," Kyle uttered, "I saw him escape into his Gate just a few moments before it was devoured by the void. He is alive and currently on Stroggos."

"Damn... this is a serious setback. Okay, no matter," the Major sighed, "Now, marines, we should go get the survivors, call for help, and put Io Base Alpha in some order... if possible."

"Wait, Major... let's first take a look into the red crate. Let's see what Stalker's secret trump card was." Kyle said.

"Go ahead, Corporal. You deserve the honor to open it."

Kyle Harlan, having just caught his breath after escape death for probably the hundredth time, approached the red high-security crate and slowly opened it. A supernatural golden glow shone onto his face, which changed into an expression of great surprise. He stood like paralyzed, having recognized the object inside... still unable to believe. His hand gently touched the wooden handle, his eyes literally sunk in the ornamented golden blade.

What the other two marines saw was Corporal Harlan standing still for a minute, as if struck by fear or great surprise. Then he lifted something from inside, and turned around to face them.

In his hands, Kyle held the legendary Spear of Destiny.


	26. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER XXV: THE SPEAR OF DESTINY**

* * *

_...the Spear of Destiny - a weapon that was enchanted in a way that bestowed great power unto any who wielded it..._

The feeling of holding the legendary weapon was that of excitement such Kyle had never before experienced in his life. Having witnessed the horrors of Hell, and having faced innumerable dangers and foes, he felt calm, purified and rejuvenated while he stared at the mesmerizing glow of the golden blade. It felt as if the very material of the Spear emanated an aura of undeniable strength and great glory. Major Boyd and Private Boaventura were staring at it too, feeling a mystical sensation of fulfillment. They fully realized that for the moment they had won – it was their privilege to take some rest and enjoy the moment of triumph. The still functional screens showed them that the marine survivors throughout the base were already free and directing the civilian personnel to the medical sector, where they would be properly taken care of.

Everything seemed very clear after Stalker's final secret was uncovered – the Spear was the tool that allowed him to finalize his work on the mutants. It also helped him work on his project unnoticed – protected by its power. Securing the Spear was a major victory against him and his Elder God ally. The scientist had said that the Spear was a key, and Kyle was definitely satisfied that the enemy would not be able to use it.

"Quite a trophy you have there, Harlan," Major Boyd giggled, "I am relieved to see that you are still here – I have heard all sorts of legends that he who touches the Spear will instantly fall into the burning maw of Hell."

"I heard those too," Kyle replied, "But I also heard that the demon that was responsible for those abductions was slain by a human who proved to be too tough for Hell to contain."

"Ha, are you related? Anyway... for now there are no more functional Gates at the base, so probably we should not worry about Stalker and his cybernetic friends coming back. And I see that the system automatically restored normal power distribution for the entire base. Sweet."

"We are back in business," Shade added, "And I can smell a promotion on the horizon."

"Shut up... Corporal," Major Boyd ordered. Shade only saluted and assumed the pose of a heroic statue. He surely had some good news for the boys back home in Portugal.

"As for you, Harlan. You did an amazing job. Rarely has humanity witnessed such an example of bravery, skill... and exceptional good luck. I can see the word Lieutenant floating above the horizon – what do you think?"

"I think that we should have some rest before the high brass come to investigate, and the corporate bigwigs start whining about the havoc that we have caused around here," Kyle replied, "And then, we should think about our common friend, Doctor Stalker, and what we can do to ensure he would not threaten us ever again."

"Agreed... Kyle. Now, shall we expect what the other marines are doing?"

The marines were about to leave the laboratory with their unexpected prize, when a noise attracted their attention. A tall figure walked out of a dark corner, where it had stood for the whole duration of the conversation. The Gatekeeper approached the marines, ominous sparks dancing in his eyes. Corporal Harlan gave shade a sign not to shoot.

"Once again, I am deeply impressed, humans. For eons, I have seen you as a weak and inferior race that was only good for mindless servitude. Marine, for the second time you have prove me wrong. Now, you have contained the thunder... but you have not yet quelled the storm. The Spear of Destiny could have accelerated the plans of the Makron considerably – but it is not absolutely necessary for them. By capturing it, you have gained precious time. During this time, I can work to prevent the approaching disaster."

"What are your plans, demon?" Kyle asked. Some vague suspicions rose in his mind.

"I must leave you soon and travel to the last demonic colony. Once there, we shall look for survivors in Hell, and obtain several very important artifacts..."

Kyle frowned. The Gatekeeper had helped them, but the marine still suspected that once he joined his brethren, the great demon would work to exact vengeance upon humanity. He also had some worries about the demon's workings with mystic artifacts, which, as he already knew, could possess terrible powers.

"We helped you obtain your Essences of Death or whatever they are. I would expect that you won't backstab us in some way..." Kyle started.

"You humans are always preoccupied with your mindless fears. In light of the greater trials that stand before us, it should be apparent that I do not intend to waste my time with your race any more. The Ice Weasel and I will be leaving now... I assume you will never see us again... although somehow I cannot be certain about this. Uncertainty has always disturbed me."

With a bright flash, the Ice Revenant teleported into the room. He nodded to the Gatekeeper and stepped back. This had to be the sign that they were ready to go. The great demon made a complicated gesture in the air, and started chanting something that sounded like a very sad song. With the crackling sound of energy, a swirling vortex appeared in the air, and a Gate formed. Unlike the one that Stalker built, this portal seemed more stable, and the chaotic shapes within it moved and flowed more gently and graciously. When Kyle stared into it, he could see the blurred and strangely twisted image of what could be a landscape from the planet that drove him to come to Io in the first place – he had looked for its location for so long, and now the path towards it was only a few steps away.

The Ice Revenant walked through the Gate and disappeared from their sight. A cunning smile bended the Gatekeeper's lips.

"You are very curious, are you not, human? You did fight for my cause, just as you did for yours. The least I can do is show you several images from Tei Tenga. Come... hold my hand."

Kyle was confused and hesitant at first, but then he carefully approached the demon, who kept his hand stretched forward, waiting. The marine touched the demon's clawed hand – it was dry and very warm. The human felt a strange tingling, as if the demon's body was charged with an electric field of some sort. Reassured by the Major's look, Kyle held the inhuman hand firmly. Then, ethereal images invaded his mind, showing him places he had never seen or even imagined before...

He flew fast over a dark sea that stretched itself under a red sky that looked as if it was burning. He saw many mountains, valleys, craters, huge skeletons buried in the dunes, strange formations of nature... then he stopped for some time over three sites.

First, he saw a steep rocky island among the dark ocean. Bathing in the light of an unknown sun, the island towered above the raging waters like a titanic spire. Many structures could be seen on it, their windows lit by dancing lights. On the rocky spire's top rested a massive cathedral of grey stone. Kyle felt that a great power swirled within its confines. Somehow, his thoughts turned towards the four Essences of Life – could they be kept inside?

Then, he saw an isolated plateau, far into what had to be the northern regions of the planet, beyond vast desolate wastelands and deserts. There he saw numerous high technology buildings, where mysterious activities took place. In an area that appeared to be guarded most, a high-security storage facility was built. Kyle felt that soon there would be something important kept inside. The images of the three Essences of Death came to his mind... that was the answer.

And then, Kyle beheld a great city that pulsated with unholy power. Alien structures, gruesome factories, and black temples rose towards the red sky, as a whole nation of demons expanded their colony, intended to keep close watch over the Earth and be ready for an assault should their master order so. The images started to fade...

Kyle found himself in the devastated laboratory once again. The Gatekeeper was staring at him with a gaze that somehow had something sad in it. The demon walked away and stood by his Gate, turning around to look at the humans one last time. Kyle returned to his companions.

"So, you are going away now... Farewell, and many thanks for everything you taught and showed me."

A strange grimace ran through the Gatekeeper's face. Then he spoke with an icy voice:

"There is one more thing before I leave, mortal."

Kyle stopped in place. Something was wrong – the Gatekeeper's voice sounded very different from usual... almost as if someone else was speaking. And this voice sounded vaguely familiar. He had to be very cautious...

"Yes... what is it?"

The demon grinned, revealing a row of sharp fiendish teeth. His voice sounded deeper and more threatening than ever before.

"_That_ is mine!"

Finishing the sentence, the clawed hand was stretched forward once again. An invisible force pulled the Spear of Destiny from Harlan's hands and delivered it right into the expecting claws of the demon. The three marines immediately raised their weapons and aimed them at the Gatekeeper.

"What treachery is this, fiend?" Major Boyd shouted, "You have no business with this artifact! Leave it to us and begone before we decide to return you to the land of the dead that you came from!"

Vile laughter echoed in response. The eyes of the demon started to burn like charcoals.

"Blinded humans! Do you really think that I will please your whims when everything is at stake! Just how narrow-minded can your species be? Even now, my mortal enemy works to infiltrate Hell and claim my most valuable possession. I have no other course but to intervene. Do not attempt to stop me!"

Kyle recognized the voice! It was weaker than the last time he heard it, and it sounded differently because it was being transmitted through the Gatekeeper's body, but still – that voice could not be mistaken...

"Baphomet!" Kyle exclaimed. He had no more doubts.

"The very one. Kyle Harlan – resourceful as always. The one who killed my physical form. The one who struck down that which was immortal. Our curious partnership ends here. Farewell, little insects. Do not attempt to follow me."

The voice of Baphomet sank, and the real voice of the Gatekeeper emerged once again:

"This is the way it has to be. Our only chance to stop the forces that are rising against our races lies in the secrets of the Elder Worlds. I regret we had to part ways like this..."

The demon turned around and walked through the Gate – a slight hissing sound was the only indication that he had passed from Io into a world located somewhere within the endless void of the Universe. Still shocked by the sudden change of the situation, Kyle turned to the Major and looked him in the eyes. The eerie spark he saw there was the indication that both marines had the same insane thought in their heads.

Kyle jumped up ran for the Gate, immediately followed by Major Boyd. The portal had already begun to shrink, but both marines believed they could jump through it before it closes and follow the Gatekeeper to the demonic planet. Behind them, Shade shouted that what they did was pure madness, begging them to stop. But they could not.

Running at full speed, the two men could almost feel the swirling Gate... just a few more meters. It was becoming smaller and smaller, ready to go out of existence at every second.

"NOW!" Kyle yelled. Both he and the major dived forward.

Private Boaventura saw the two men disappear into the dimensional portal a mere second before it closed forever. Then he remained all alone...


	27. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE: BENEATH BURNING SKIES**

* * *

_...you will never find it. Never!_

"Painful."

That was the first thought that passed through Kyle Harlan's head when he woke up. He was lying on the hard ground, feeling alive and aware that passing through a nearly closed Gate is a rather unpleasant experience. A heavy sigh nearby told him that Major Boyd was alive too, trying to clear his mind after the harsh ride through a few thousand light years of emptiness. Strewn before his eyes was a sight that was calming and quite disturbing at the same time.

The reddish sky of an unknown alien planet hung above his head, reminding him of everything that happened before the two marines dived into the boiling chaos of a collapsing dimensional passage. He was lying on the surface of the planet he had sought so desperately. The one that housed the last demonic colony. The one where the Gatekeeper, aided by a fragment of Baphomet, would once again attempt to enter the Elder Worlds and claim the cursed Runes that seemed to have caused nothing but trouble since they were first created.

He was on the same chase, only this time on a planet even farther away from Earth.

"Major Boyd, are you feeling well?"

"I am just fine, Harlan... Aaargh, feels just like the first days at the Military Academy!"

"Oh, I know," Kyle murmured in response.

Half an hour later, they got up slowly and got to explore their surroundings. They stood on the top of a high hill that was very close to a large lake. They still could not get oriented in their surroundings, yet they had a general idea what they had to do. Kyle told the Major everything he saw while he held the demon's hand. They reasoned that their task would be to discover the cathedral of stone and claim the Essences of Life. Then, it was rational to assume that the tomes, which were the Essences of Death, would be hidden for the moment in the guarded storage facility he saw... If they could take away and hide these, the Gatekeeper would not be able to open any portals to the Elder Worlds, even though he possessed the Spear of Destiny.

"The problem here is that we are alone," the Major said, "I am not sure if Boaventura would be able to find us and send some reinforcements in any way."

"We can hope that the eggheads can figure some way to use Stalker's machine that can track Gates and locate us... a squad of marines is exactly what we need right now."

"True, Harlan. Well, we still have our weapons, a good supply of ammo, and the gadgets you got from the electronics lab."

"Hmmm yes... I should try to find out what these helmets can do. Before we came here, you mentioned something about a Lieutenant..."

"I certainly did," the Major exclaimed, "Be sure that you are promoted – you certainly deserve it."

A handshake was the only confirmation from Kyle's side. The marine was ready to follow his companions into any danger that might await them. They collected their items and decided to go down by the lake's shore before they start thinking about their new situation...

* * *

With the shining Spear of Destiny in hand, the Gatekeeper walked down the grand hall of the palace, headed straight for the throne room. He saw Barons of Hell and Imps, and they all looked with surprise at first, and knelt to express their loyalty afterwards. Not only did they recognize his status as a Gatekeeper, but they also felt clearly that there was something more about him... a small piece of his being emanated an aura that mesmerized them, as they felt the presence of their great master so close...

The huge twin doors opened to reveal the enormous and ornamented throne room. Many demons had already gathered there – Hell Knights, Barons of Hell, the clumsy Mancubi, a few Arch Viles that followed every move he made... and even five Cyberdemons that stood close to the great throne. Upon it, the last of Hell's Spider Masterminds stared in disbelief as the Gatekeeper approached, followed closely by the well-known Ice Weasel. The artifact that the demon carried was not as surprising as the eerie presence that everyone felt in the Gatekeeper's soul. He finally reached the throne and stopped right on front of it, throwing a scrutinizing look at the Mastermind.

Then, he turned around and faced the many demons that had gathered. He looked at them, and raised the Spear above his head so that everyone could see it. Then, he shouted:

"I have returned."

The Cyberdemons were the first to kneel to the ground, bowing heir heads as a sign of full and unquestionable obedience. All other demons, including the Mastermind, followed them, and bowed, having recognized their Lord and Master. The Spider then rose and spoke:

"We are yours to command, great master. We are overjoyed to see that our wait is finally over, and our outpost in this world is to serve its great purpose, which was determined so long ago."

The Gatekeeper gave a wicked grin, as another pair of doors was opened to reveal a large balcony. It overlooked a ceremonial courtyard, which was arranged for a complicated ritual. The resting places of the Seven Essences and the Spear were clearly marked. In the yard's center was a circle that marked the place where the Gate to the Elder Worlds would appear when the ritual was finished.

The demon knew very well that there was still enough time. He still needed to regain much of his lost power. This is why he would retreat for some time in the Dark Stronghold – built specifically as a sanctum for Gatekeepers, should they ever visit this outpost. He was sure that the humans would never dare follow him in any way...

* * *

The metallic gates opened without a noise, allowing the guest into the gloomy hall. Simon Stalker walked towards the raised dais, while the half-organic half-machine guardians followed his every move with baleful eyes. They looked female, and that is why he liked to call them Iron Maidens. Their sharp metallic nails were as deadly as the rocket launchers that they had mounted on their arms.

Doctor Stalker stood before the platform. The darkness did not allow him to see the being that stood there, but this did not bother him. He knew very well how the Makron's metal body looked like. A harsh metallic voice broke the brooding silence:

"You have returned successfully, Stalker... But I see you have not brought me the key that I could have put to good use."

"The plan went awry," Stalker replied, "Two bothersome humans intervened, aided by a Gatekeeper. Strange, I thought all thirteen of them were dead."

"Most disturbing." The metallic voice responded, "They were supposed to be dead, along with... Him. That is a turn of events that I do not approve."

Stalker looked through the window on his left. Through its frame, he could see the great city of Cerberon, pulsating with the machine power of the civilization of Stroggos. A civilization more fit to survive and rule the Universe than the pathetic human race...

"What is our current situation, Stalker?" the metallic voice continued.

"My advanced tracking sensors that I left on Io reported that the Gatekeeper took the Spear and left for the last known demonic outpost in this Universe – on the planet of Tei Tenga."

"Expected. In his arrogance, the Gatekeeper thinks he could oppose me... Inconsequential. Still, he would expect us to attack him. Let us not disappoint our opponent – several scouting teams shall be sent to Tei Tenga. This should keep him distracted."

"And how are we to proceed in the meantime?" Stalker asked.

"We shall proceed as was planned from the very beginning. I have already assembled an elite strike force. You shall lead these agents of Stroggos into Hell, where they will begin the excavations... If everything goes without disruptions, we shall reach our goal soon enough, even without the Spear of Destiny..."

Stalker's eyes sparkled when he heard that he would finally embark upon the task he had awaited for so long...

"I shall oversee the excavation personally. Before long, the source of power of Hell, the power of Baphomet himself that he kept hidden since the dawn of time, shall be yours."

"Your actions have assured that the humans would be preoccupied with the demons and ignore us for the time being," the Makron continued. "And I sense that you wish to continue your experiments, even though you could not bring the Spear with you."

"Of course I will continue with the project," Stalker replied, "You have assimilated countless alien races throughout the Universe. The stroggification of demons is the next logical step. The Spear was essential to these efforts, yet where magic fails, technology can succeed."

Stalker made a short pause as he gazed at the vista of the great cybernetic city that spread before him.

"Isn't this the doctrine that your civilization was built upon?" the twisted doctor continued, "Baphomet chose the path of magic and created the dimension of Hell, while you came to this universe. Unable to utilize your magic, you turned to the best possible substitute – technology. You are not so different from the demons – what they accomplish through unholy power and wicked souls, you achieve with machine oil and microchips. It is only a matter of time before I find a way to combine these two..."

The Makron nodded silently.

* * *

The massive machine came to life and the blades started to move – slowly at first, yet steadily accelerating. A rain of sparks erupted as the shiny metal started to dig into the charred soil.

The Strogg overseer relayed his status report through the Nexus. The Makron would soon be notified that the excavations had started.

The direction was clear – downward, straight toward the Burning Core itself. It was only a matter of time now...

**- THE END -**

* * *

**Sequel?**

_The Gatekeeper's Legacy_** – **planned but not written so far. Only the introduction has been finished. If I have enough free time in the future, I will definitely try to write it.

Here is a brief outline that I wrote at the time _Gatekeeper's Shadow_ was completed:

"With the Spear of Destiny stolen, and the Gatekeeper escaping to the demonic colony of Tei Tenga, Kyle Harlan and Nicholas Boyd find themselves in a hostile new world, desperately trying to find a way to stop the Gatekeeper before he breaks through the Shield and infiltrates the Elder Worlds. At the same time, Simon Stalker and his sinister ally are masterminding a dark plot that was set in motion millennia ago, threatening the lives and existence of both humans and demons... Stay tined – the most epic adventure of our time has only just begun!"

If I really get around to writing it, you can be sure that it will be uploaded here – so keep your eyes peeled. And hope that Corporal Harlan and Major Boyd will return to dispense some justice!


	28. Glossary

**Gatekeeper's Shadow**

**Glossary**

* * *

**Arachnotron: **Demon species/cybernetic construct. Using alien advanced genetic and hydraulic technology, the forces of Hell were able to breed brains and mount them on sturdy metallic constructs, armed with plasma cannons. The brains were infused with the tormented spirits of slain Atlanteans. Warped by Hell's chaotic power, they became fully loyal to Baphomet and joined his ranks as some of the most powerful warriors of Hell.

**Arch Vile: **Demon species – humans who had committed the most heinous of crimes and blasphemies, losing their souls to darkness while still alive. Warped by Baphomet's energies, they have been turned into demonic entities that possess tremendous arcane powers.

**Baphomet: **One of the Old Gods. Embodiment of chaos and innate rebellion against imposed order. Rumored to have secretly played a great role in the fall of the Elder Worlds. Stormed from the ranks of the Deities to form a realm of his own – Hell. Creator of the Gatekeepers. Physical avatar killed by Corporal Kyle Harlan during the invasion of Earth.

**Baron of Hell: **Hell Knights that drunk the blood of Gatekeepers. They underwent a metamorphosis that bestowed an insatiable lust for blood upon them, increased their strength and stamina, as well as their magical abilities, turning them into some of the most powerful commanders of Hell.

**BFG 9000: **An experimental weapon, mutual project of the military and the UAC. The weapon quickly accumulates a heavy load of energy and unleashes a massive discharge of plasma and anti-matter that inflicts severe damage upon many targets at once. In its name abbreviation, the "B" stands for "big," and the "G" stands for "gun." There has been much speculation about the exact meaning of the "F."

**Black Cathedral:** Mythical edifice on Mars built by the last of the ancient Black Magi, as a place to hide the three Essences of Death.

**Black Container: **A powerful demonic artifact of unknown origins. It unleashes a powerful necromantic spell that raises dead humans as Former Humans – persistent undead warriors, possessing immense bloodlust and unholy strength.

**Burning Core:** A mysterious and unknown artifact, machine or region (descriptions are contradictory), buried deep under the surface of Hell. It contains a great amount of Baphomet's own power that he invested to create Hell and bind it to the evil souls of humankind. Warlocks are the mystic demon species that were granted the power to manipulate the powers of the Core to a great extent. The Core fuels the whole realms of Hell, and all Hellish magics spring from it.

**Cacodemon: **Demon of sadism and perversity. Originally bred to torture the hapless human souls in Hell, yet proved to be powerful airborne warriors. Cacodemons are enormous levitating cyclops heads that belch explosive gases and are known for their chilling grins and unrelenting cruelty.

**Crypt of Boiling Blood:** Third level in the subterranean crypts system. The Crypt of Boiling Blood was built to serve as a focal point for malice, dark thoughts, and evil energies. It was also meant to be a vault where valuable artifacts and souls of valued followers of Hell are kept, protected by a magically locked door and a spell of destruction. Many treasures and souls are kept within, together with the locked spirit of a great ancient human Heresiarch.

**Crypt of Endless Screams:** First and highest level of the subterranean crypt system on Io. Built to serve as a common gathering place for all demon inhabitants in the crypts. Contains several common libraries, treasuries, and arcane vaults. It also has a huge amphitheater-like punishment arena, where hapless humans were dragged to be executed.

**Crypt of Eternal Night:** Lowest (fifth) and most secured level of the crypts system. It is protected by a puzzle charged with a spell of destruction, and the Abyss of Eternal Night that can instantly consume the souls of intruders. The Abyss also serves as a buffer and space for the channeling and redirection of arcane energies that fuel the whole crypts compound. At this level's heart lies the room where the portal to the Black Cathedral on Mars is, prepared for the servants of Hell to pass through, and fulfill their mission of claiming the Essences of Death.

**Crypt of Frozen Terrors:** Second level of the crypts network on Io. Contains numerous frozen specimens from the Elder Worlds, kept there for study and experimentation. Deeper within it, there are arcane laboratories, vaults, and the sanctum of Ice Weasel, the feared Ice Revenant.

**Crypt of Immortal Hatred:** Fourth level of the demonic crypts network on Io. Built to house the corporeal forms of a small army of fierce barbarian warriors and their fearsome Warlord – Arcaron, son of Olaric. Also houses several enormous armories where various weapons, both human- and demon-made are kept.

**Cyberdemon: **One of the ancient demon species that inhabited the Obsidian Canyons. Their origins are unknown, though it is theorized that they were once the guardians of the small world of Quake (one of the five Original Worlds). They were not able to survive on other worlds (for unknown reasons) before alien technology turned them into living machines that were finally able to offer their power to Baphomet's armies.

**Deities (Old Gods): **Immensely powerful extra-dimensional entities that were born with the beginning of Existence and the formation of the Universe. They were the first to create five worlds from the emptiness of the Void, and ruled over their mortal creations that inhabited them through the elite sect known as the "Disciples." Baphomet was one of the Deities.

**Dimension of the Doomed (Realm of Earth Magic): **One of the five Original Worlds – a nexus point for humans' magic powers that were fundamentally different from the power of the Old Gods. That world was inhabited by a chosen group of magi (non-Disciples) that studied and attuned the flows of arcane power. It is on that world that the Elder Runes were forged, within a place known as the House of Chthon.

**Disciples: **Elite sect of humans in the Elder World, chosen by the Deities themselves. They were the embodiment of power over humanity, specially trained in magic and manipulation, and the mediators between the mortals and the Old Gods. Their end came with the Great Rebellion that overthrew their order and led to the fall of the Original Worlds.

**Elder Runes: **Ancient artifacts of unimaginable power, forged by the Old Gods. Each of those runes carried the very essence of a different type of magical power: Human magic (human magic), Black magic (evil force), Netherworld magic (pure chaos), and Elder magic (Old Gods' power). It is said that the one who possesses the four runes would be granted power, exceeding that of the Old Gods themselves.

**Elder World: **One of the five Original Worlds. Home of humanity as it was first created by an unknown force or Deity. Its center of power was the City of the Disciples – an enormous citadel that was built within a giant crater that was formed by a cataclysmic eruption of arcane energy. The E.W. was a warm but humid world, complete with forests and oceans that were known for their high variety of colors (waters that ranged from light yellow, to dark purple).

**Essences of Life:** Four body liquids or humors. In ancient ages, the forces of magic bound the essence of life to the following humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. The humors were recognized by ancient human thinkers, but the knowledge was lost. In order for the Essence of Life to unleash their full power, they have to be pure. Very rarely a human that carries pure humors/essences is born.

**Essences of Death:** Death is insubstantial and almost unreal. Therefore, its essence was bound to complicated spells that were written in three specially prepared tomes. The created focus of Death killed everyone in its vicinity before the tomes were closed and locked by Baphomet. Those three essences were later hidden in the Black Cathedral on Mars, following the Great Rebellion.

**Former Human: **Slain human, raised by the evil force unleashed by a Black Container. The power of the Former Humans is determined by their skills while they were alive, and ranges from simple weak raised humans to the vicious Former Commandos that had been skilled fighters while alive.

**Gate: **A stable rupture in the fabric of time and space that folds reality in a way that connects two entirely different locations. The Gate's stability and persistence is supported by a sophisticated framework of energy channels and tachyon vectors. The true nature is shrouded in mystery, even for Gatekeepers, though they confidently describe it as "a singular rift, framed within the Void and anchored into the physical world by an electromagnetic field."

**Gatekeeper: **Second-in-command demon in the hierarchy of Hell. Created by the Deity himself, they possessed the power to shape reality according to their wishes and open dimensional gateways. Their powers in the field of magic were quite formidable, as well as their talent as field commanders.

**Great Rebellion: **An unprecedented uprising of humanity against the Disciples and their Old God masters. Led to the downfall of the Elder worlds and their established order. It is rumored that Baphomet played a clandestine role in the events surrounding the rebellion.

**Hell: **A vast realm of pure chaos and a focal point of negative/evil powers. Dimensionally configured to siphon all human and non-human souls that carry evil within. Inhabited by an exceptionally hostile and xenophobic race – the demons and their undead servitors.

**Hell Knight: **One of the first demonic species, spawned from the hairs of Baphomet's beard that he spread over the realm. Hell Knights are excellent warriors, possessing a good balance of stamina, fighting prowess, brute strength, and warlock skills. They serve as Baphomet's personal elite guard.

**Ice Revenant / Ice Weasel:** Formerly a human, one of the most powerful of the ancient Disciples before the Great Rebellion. Joined Baphomet after the fall of the Elder Worlds and was granted great magical power, after being warped into an immortal creature – an Ice Revenant. Later appointed to serve as commander of the Io network of crypts.

**Icon of Sin: **A vast citadel in Hell, the seat of power, home of Baphomet. Built by unknown technology and designs, it spreads Baphomet's dark influence over the whole realm. It is said that anyone who would enter its halls would be lost forever as there is a potent spell of confusion that protects the whole area.

**Imp: **Demon species – one of the first creatures formed by the energies that Baphomet unleashed throughout Hell. Imps are roughly the size of a human, brown in color, possessing many spikes, excellent sight, the ability to cast fireballs on their victims (primal warlock magical abilities, very underdeveloped), and burning hunger for the flesh and blood of mortals. Imps have many purposes in Hell's hierarchy – from lowly menial workers and warriors to commanders of small groups of demonic troops.

**Inferno: **One of Hell's continents, part of a greater landmass, separated from its eastern part by the Mountains of Agony. The boundaries of the continent are heavily fortified and the gates of the Hell Keep are the only entrance. Significant structure such as the Pandemonium, the House of Pain, the Unholy Cathedral, and Dis are located within the continent.

**Lost Soul: **Demon species/undead manifestation. Despair and the loss of all meaning in life, turn humans into Lost Souls when their spirits are devoured by Hell. Those manifestations of anguish and frustration appear as burning horned skulls that are able to levitate and propel themselves at high speeds when they attack. Hungry for the flesh and souls of the living, Lost Souls are deadly when encountered in packs. Ravenous and merciless, they are able to tear a victim into pieces within a minute.

**Netherworld: **The original realm of the dead, gatherer of dead souls, one of the five Original Worlds. It is characterized by vast smoldering wastelands, seas of hot magma and chaotic fields of black crystals. Supposedly, the Netherworld was ruled by the Angel of Death, who was later found in Hell. The realm was still capable of attracting souls and projecting manifestations on the mortal plane even after being locked under the Shield.

**Original Worlds: **Five worlds – the first to be ever created since the begging of Existence. Shaped by the Old Gods, there were five such worlds, and humanity was to inhabit the largest of them. Those realms were: Realm of Earth Magic (Dimension of the Doomed), Realm of Black Magic, Netherworld, Elder World, and Quake. The last was a small dark planet with mysterious purposes and properties.

**Pain Elemental: **Demon species/bio-energy anomaly. After consuming a specific number of pure human souls, a Lost Soul enters a state of metamorphosis, in which it is encased in a shell of scintillating energy. After a period of time that ranges from several hours to a few days, the Lost Soul is transformed into a Pain Elemental – brown colored, levitating cyclops head that possess underdeveloped limbs and the ability to spawn an unlimited number of Lost Souls – clones of the original creature that formed the Elemental.

**Pandemonium: **An enormous fortress in Inferno. Base of warrior demons that assaulted and pillaged distant worlds. Contains the greatest armory of Hell as well as chambers where the loot of eons of demonic plunder is stored. The fortress has served other purposes as well, but they have yet to be discovered.

**Quake: **A small planet, one of the five original worlds. A seemingly undeveloped and dark world, it conceals a vast underground structure that, as it is theorized, was constructed by the Deities for their meetings and control over the other four worlds. When the Shield was raised, one of the Old Gods was left there to watch over the sealed worlds.

**Realm of Black Magic: **One of the five Original Worlds – a focal world of evil, chaos, and darkness. The uncontrollable side of magic (black magic) was concentrated on that world by the Old Gods so that they would be able to keep watch over it. Secretly chosen humans were sent there and allowed to study black magic and build their own dark civilization. Ruled by a council of five chosen magi, they existed until a war among them that happened just prior to the Great Rebellion.

**Revenant: **Undead cybronic hybrid. One of Hell's most sophisticated creations; this is a cybernetically modified human skeleton that has been brought to life by the spirit of a slain demon (an ethereal image of the undead host can be seen around the bones). It attacks its victims with heat-seeking missiles or with its bare fists that strike with surprising strength and accuracy.

**Spear of Destiny: **An artifact of great, yet unknown power, brought from one of the Original Worlds. Used for the creation of a specific type of undead.

**Spider Mastermind: **Demon species. Using the alien technology utilized for the creation of Arachnotrons to build bigger and stronger hydraulic structures that carry hideous chainguns and enormous genetically modified brains. Those brains were infused with the spirits of the necromancers who were the most trusted advisors of the Gatekeeper that ruled over the assembled human tribes in Earth's distant past. The Masterminds became Hell's most loyal and mighty generals that lead the demonic legions into battle.

**Tei Tenga:** Name of the mysterious planet where the last great demonic colony is located.

**Temple of Darkness: **The largest seat of Hell's power ever on Earth. Built by a Gatekeeper who seized control over the local groups of primitive humans and ruled over them for centuries. The Temple was used to store dark knowledge and many infernal artifacts, including Void Spheres.

**The Shield: **Excessively powerful protective spell that was cast by the Old Gods around the Elder Worlds, severing them from time and space, and isolating them for an unlimited period of time. Everything sealed under the Shield is locked in a stasis state and does not age.

**Tower of Babel: **Specially built on Deimos after it was teleported into Hell. The warlord of the Cyberdemons used it to channel a potent ritual that opened Gateways to Earth and enabled the demonic invasion upon it.

**Unholy Cathedral: **An enormous temple on the northern hills of the continent of Inferno in Hell. Built to serve as a focal point for dark power, and resting place of the so-called Unholy Bible – Baphomet's artifact of power.

**Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC): **A powerful, unscrupulous conglomerate on Earth that claims an undisputed monopolist position with the discovery of a unique waste-processing technology. It builds colonies on Mars and its moons, Phobos and Deimos, where secret experiments are performed.

**Void Sphere: **Powerful demonic artifact with enormous destructive potential. Creates a void of time and space causing a catastrophic implosive effect. Nothing can resist the power of a Void Sphere, except the legendary Spear of Destiny.


End file.
